


Starpoint Woods Power Station

by tmwillson3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Cameos, Engineering, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Marvel References, References to Monty Python, Reylo Week, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-26 16:09:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 52,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14405718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: After being talked into applying for a job by Han Solo, Rey finds herself working at a nuclear power plant. There, she meets the man of her dreams - because who isn't attracted to arrogant sticklers for rules who are good with their tools and carry around a jar of bright green lube?This is the nuclear power plant AU you never expected. A silly, slightly informative, and humorous look at working in the nuclear industry, as well as all the pop culture references possible.





	1. Colors

**Author's Note:**

> No, I don't own Star Wars, or anything else I reference. This is for Reylo Week, after a silly, wild idea entered my head. If you don't enjoy random bits about nuclear power plants, numerous pop culture references, and silliness in general, then run away now, for madness awaits you all with nasty, green, greasy lube in a jar. Thanks to my beta reader, Davina, and I hope you enjoy the story!

 

Fall semester of senior year in college brought many things to campus: senior design projects, football games, the beginning of senioritis, job fairs, and pretty colors.

 

The bright green leaves were slowly fading away to the brilliant fall colors Rey loved, but one older male among the many recruiters at the college’s career fair had a shirt such a bright lime green, it had to have sucked the life from every green leaf in its path.

 

Or so Rey thought as she walked down the corridor of hopeful recruiters. 

 

Nonetheless, she stopped at this man’s display, not because she was interested in a job, or in finding out if he had planet-sized machines that could steal the green life force out of anything, even stars.

 

No, he had something infinitely more interesting than free swag: he had free food -pizza in fact. 

 

She was a poor college student, even on a scholarship, so she loved all free food.

 

Then, she saw the motor in the recruiter’s hands that he was playing with as he chatted with others. She had seen many like that, in the junkyard next to where she grew up with her foster father. The cocky, green-clad recruiter had pulled this one apart partially, seven pieces of it gathered in his hand.

 

The recruiter finally addressed her, his slightly wavy, fading brown hair falling over the wrinkles and laugh lines in his face. His khakis bordered on being just a little close to comfortable over business casual, and his demeanor was relaxed. He was quite confident in himself and his ability to talk, apparently.

 

“Got a name?” asked the grinning recruiter before pointing to himself. “Han Solo.”

 

He put out his hand in greeting, and she gave him a firm shake. He seemed impressed. 

 

“I'm Rey, and I'm here for the free food,” she said honestly with a nod. 

 

She certainly wasn't dressed for an interview in her jeans and t-shirt. She already had a job offer pending from the place she had interned at last summer. 

 

Han gave her an amused look, and then put his other hand out, the one holding the motor parts. 

 

“You sure it's not this?” he asked. “I saw you checking it out. I only know one other person who would eye it, and he loves them.”

 

“He must like and know Fords, then,” replied Rey, taking the motor parts. She took the seven small parts and began assembling them quickly. 

 

When she finished, she handed it back to him, satisfied. It had been a couple years, but she still had it, the knack - the ability to fix anything. It was the reason she decided to become an engineer, to help others and to fix anything she could. That, and she loved math. She knew from experience that, at a minimum, tolerating math was a must in engineering. 

 

“He does know them,” replied Han with a rueful grin, “no doubt because of me. I needed to work with my hands, and becoming a yardbird wasn't an option for me. I'd want to go back to my old life.”

 

“So you were in the navy?” asked Rey with interest at recognizing the term for shipyard employees.

 

Han perked up a bit at her comment. “Yes, I was, a proud pilot. You in the navy yourself? Nuclear plants love former navy folk.”

 

“What, me?” asked Rey in surprise, pulling away from Han and his table of day-glow colored items.  “No, my foster father was, before he was discharged and grew old and fat. And what do you mean nuclear plants?”

 

His too-bright-for-human-eyes green shirt had small purple letters, along with the symbol for an atom. The letters said:

 

“SW IS

LIFE!”

 

When that made no sense, she read what another glowing green sign said: 

 

“Starpoint Woods Power Station”

 

In smaller letters, it read, “SW Station-Voted Brightest Nuclear Plant, Forty Years Running”

 

She chuckled at the brightest part.

 

“So you're actually proud of those brightly colored monstrosities of shirts? Does everyone have one?”

 

“Eventually every employee gets one,” he said with a grin. “And you'll learn to love the color. It grows on you, as does the bright purple lettering.”

 

“Doubtful,” she scoffed, deciding to humor him since he insisted on asking questions. “What's the best part about working there?”

 

“Well, discounting the great pay and steadiness the job gives me, definitely the food. Just don't tell my wife that. She works there, too, but I can't have my normal fun with her there, so I don't choose her on principle,” he said with a smirk.

 

Rey laughed at the last part of his comment. As casual as he was here, she could imagine him being much worse around his wife.

 

“It's not possible to have the good job and the good food,” she stated skeptically, leaning on the table. “Are you for real?”

 

He leaned in with a conspiratorial air, looking around as he spoke softly, as though letting her in on a big secret.

 

“I used to wonder about it myself as my wife expounded on the many benefits to working there. Crazy thing is… It's true. It's all true. They have a personal chef who gets paid to do it since the catering company lost its contract six months ago. The catering food was piss-poor.”

 

He was being absolutely serious. She couldn't believe it. She stepped back, trying to distance herself from him.

 

“Look, I've seen the Simpsons, and I know that there is no good solution for used fuel-"

 

“Yet,” he interrupted. “But dry cask storage works great in the meantime. We've already extended our license for twenty more years, and we're on our way to extend it further. Job security, Rey. The best kind. You can use those engineering skills you have in design engineering, creating replacements for all the old, obsolete things we have in our plant.”

 

Rey was surprised that he could read her so well and knew that she would be interested in working with older equipment. She grew up around it and knew it best, but he had no way of knowing that, other than through that ancient motor. She gave him a skeptical look. “What if I'm a civil engineer?”

 

It was Han’s turn to give her a doubting look. 

 

“I know your type, Sweetheart. You're a mechanical engineer. I've been recruiting for quite a few years now.”

 

Rey nodded in agreement. He continued. 

 

“Regardless, nuclear plants need civil, electrical, environmental, nuclear, or really any kind of engineer they can get their hands on. So, you interested?”

 

“Are you offering me a job?” Rey asked, curious.

 

“I wouldn't be nice to you. I'm never nice to new rotational engineers,” he said in response.

 

“You're offering me a job,” she replied with satisfaction.

 

“I'm thinking about it,” he said impatiently. “Now, regardless of how I feel, I need a resume from you, and for you to fill out this application online. Nuclear plants love their paperwork, almost as much as the government. So, resume?”

 

Papers were exchanged, and Rey took home three pieces of pizza. It was a good day.

 

\------

 

She filled out the job application to be nice, and thought nothing of it until she got a call from SW Station (apparently nuclear plants loved acronyms), asking her to come to the plant for an official interview. 

 

She went, if only to see Han again. She had liked him, and if more people were like him there, then she might enjoy it more than her last internship. 

 

Rey wasn't sure what she was expecting when she arrived at the plant, but not more bright green, as the security gate was also a similar lime green. Then there was the string of orange motivational posters encouraging everyone to work safely so they could go home to friends and family.

 

Then, there was the plant itself. The Jurassic Park fence in front of the plant was shiny, and there were two containment building domes,  with no cooling towers. Odd, that. Lake Naboo sparkled in the morning sun behind the whole scene. 

 

The pretty scene of the lake was only the beginning of things Rey liked. It turned out that the plant had a wide variety of people, mostly nerds in engineering. She fit right in.

 

She took the job.

 

\-------

 

Her first day at the station - it wasn't even in the plant, as she had to get a badge first - was a huge letdown. All she did after peeing in a cup was sit at a computer in a Cherenkov-blue room and take computerized tests, for three days. She'd never get those days back. She hoped she never had to perform another computer-based training as long as she lived. 

 

On her first official day, the fourth day, she arrived early to the security checkpoint, but her ancient car still got searched since she didn't have a badge yet (and wouldn't until later that day after all the security paperwork was done).

 

Behind her, a new, sleek black, muscle car was occasionally revving its engine, the owner impatient. She gave him a dirty look after the second rev of the engine.

 

The black seemed to clash horribly with all the bright colors and green surrounding Rey at the plant. The owner didn't seem to care that he was the absence of light, seemingly content to let everyone else share the colorful glory; she'd probably be in a similar boat with him after a year of so many bright colors.

 

When the guards finally finished and she was about to get in her car, the owner, a male with jet black hair, stuck his head out of the window.

 

“Next time, don't keep so much junk in your trunk,” he growled. “You're making the rest of us late. Time is wasting.”

 

“Get here earlier. Everyone has to deal with random searches, buddy. Deal with it,” she snapped. She was glad she remembered that tidbit at least. Anyone at any time could be searched, or asked to be drug tested, because of government regulations. Joy.

 

He had an appealing face, with dark, expressive eyes, and full lips. It was a pity he seemed like a stiff stick-in-the-mud. 

 

She got in her junker and headed to her office. If she stopped suddenly when the troublesome muscle car appeared behind her again with the engine revving loudly, and if she sent him a one finger salute, then so be it. The plant was huge; she doubted she would see him again.

 

\------

 

In her new office, she sat in a circle of four new engineers, with Han looking on indulgently. 

 

Of the other three, two seemed to be nice. The other just seemed awkward as he looked around, his blond hair a mess. One of the other two was a female like her, and she introduced herself quickly, a slight squealing tone to her voice. 

 

“Hi, I'm Rose Tico! I'm so excited to get started here; who knows what we might see and discover on our first day! What about you?”

 

“I'm Finn, said the darker-skinned guy with a red and blue watch, immediately shaking hands with Rose. I'm a big deal.”

 

Rose scoffed but smiled warmly nonetheless at him. Rey was almost sure Finn blushed at Rose’s smile.

 

“I'm Rey,” stated Rey finally. “I'm a little nervous.”

 

The awkward guy didn't get a chance to introduce himself, as Han chose that moment to interrupt.

 

“Alright, kids, welcome to Starpoint Woods Power Station: the biggest city for thirty miles around, and the best lakefront property there is. Shame we can't use it anymore for grilling and parties, but I digress,” stated Han as he leisurely strolled over to the college graduates.

 

“Now, as you know, you're rotational engineers. There are four departments in engineering you could join: design, the front or back end, or plant engineering, the front or back end. It will make sense later, promise,” said Han with a smile that didn't make Rey feel comfortable at all. “You're drinking from a fire hose today; enjoy all the knowledge about to be dumped on you.”

 

Puzzled faces greeted him, and he laughed. 

 

“If you're in design, you ensure the plant maintains its originally-designed safety functions, whether by ensuring all documents are correct, or designing new parts and documents to make it safe. My wife, Leia, is in charge of all design engineering.”

 

He seemed so proud of his wife. Rey hoped one day she could find a guy who loved her that much. Or just find a guy. Most were unnerved by her ability to fix things better than them.

 

“On the other side, there is plant engineering. They're the go-getters and doers of the plant. Something breaks, and they go out to investigate. They know their system, program, or component better than anyone else. Snoke is in charge of them. Any questions?”

 

Wide eyes stared back at him, many questions at the ready. 

 

“Good, glad to hear,” continued a cheery Han. “Let's go meet those two, as well as the managers under them. C’mon kids,” he said as he herded the surprised young adults out.

 

\-----

 

Rey wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't this. These people were high level supervisors, but all seemed chill, except Snoke. He sent a chill down her spine instead, like the Grim Reaper before he became only skin and bones. Maybe that was why he went that way, to avoid looking like the wrinkly old dude with a creepy voice in front of her.

 

“There's my late, scruffy noob herder,” stated an older woman who shoulder-checked Han and came up to all of the new employees. “I'm Leia Solo. You might’ve heard of me from this guy over here.”

 

She jerked a thumb at Han, who gave her a boyish grin before indicating where the new engineers should sit. 

 

Once all were seated and introduced, Rey was excited to join design engineering. Their supervisors, Holdo and Ackbar, seemed like people that she'd get along with. Ackbar had been the one who had interviewed her, and he remembered her fondly.

 

Leia was a kindly sort of mother figure that Rey would have liked having growing up, even if, as former engineering director Anakin Skywalker had apparently said, “The snark is strong with her.”

 

Snoke still gave her the creeps. His supervisors, Bazine and Mitaka, were slightly better, and younger.

 

When the meeting with the higher-ups and all the paperwork was finished, they headed to a welcome luncheon in the plant. 

 

At the entrance to the plant, Rey discovered that, in addition to the Jurassic Park fence for security, there were other security barriers. At least this one was cooler.

 

“Wait, so getting our fingerprints and hand geometry actually serves a purpose?” she asked excitedly, turning to Han.

 

“Sure does, kid,” he replied, pointing to the machine that read her handprint. “If bomb scanners and an x-ray aren't enough, then having technology that reads the shape of my hand certainly makes me feel safer entering in. It makes me feel like I'm back in an airport, or in a James Bond movie.”

 

“I feel like I'm entering Tony Stark’s lab right now,” said Finn with awe as he looked around the second security checkpoint.

 

“If you next say that you love Chadwick Boseman, then you can join design engineering right now,” quipped Leia, pointing to Finn. “I need to talk about him with others since it makes my husband jealous.”

 

“He's pretty awesome, but Michael B. Jordan is my man!” cried Finn, running over to give Leia a fist bump. 

 

Leia smiled and gave him a fist bump. She couldn't disagree with Finn; she had a weakness for young, misunderstood men who were trying to make their way in the world and doing what was right in their eyes.

 

\----

 

Upon arriving in the conference room where lunch was being served, Rey had a small shock. There, sitting in the corner, was the same dark-haired guy she had saluted earlier that morning. Well, hopefully he wouldn't remember her or her three buns.

 

It was a shame he looked even better when he stood up to set up the projector. His black pants were tight and fit him in all the right places, and his sweater did nothing to hide his broad shoulders. She would almost swear that he was purposefully trying to make her stare at his backside, the way he lingered while leaning over. How was she  _ not  _ supposed to stare at that?

 

When he finished, the cold, humorless look on his face quickly cooled all of Rey’s sudden interest in him. He was still a stiff, impatient jerk with a stick up his butt. Then, he looked her way.

 

Their eyes locked. His brown eyes were dark and intense, and if she wasn't mistaken, also a little smug and knowing. Kriff….

 

“Ben, come over here and introduce yourself to your new coworkers,” shouted Han with good humor.

 

The intensity in Ben's eyes looked away from Rey momentarily as he nodded toward Han, but it soon came back. 

 

His eyes never left hers as he approached; she wanted to look away, but knew instinctively that looking away would doom herself in his eyes for not standing up to a challenge. If he expected her to be apologetic for what she did earlier, he would be sorely mistaken.

 

When he was close, Han started things off with a joke.

 

“So Ben, why should you never talk to pi?”

 

Ben raised an eyebrow and gave his father a skeptical look.

 

“Because he will just go on forever. Get better jokes jokes, Father.”

 

“Alright, why do calculus majors never throw house parties?”

 

“I don't know, Dad. Why don't you tell us who have all heard this awful joke?” said Ben in irritation.

 

“Because you should never drink and derive!” said Han, slapping his knee. “It's a good lesson for all you new engineers suddenly earning a paycheck. Don't spend it all in one place immediately.”

 

After a hard look from his wife and taking a moment to collect himself, Han continued with introductions. 

 

“Alright, kids, this here is my son, Ben. He's a bright and rising star within programs engineering, within the back end of plant engineering.”

 

Seeming to repress a groan at the terminology, Ben turned from Rey to face his father with studied aloofness.

 

“Are you  _ always  _ going to refer to my group as the backend of engineering and confuse these noobs more than they already are?” he asked, his voice neutral and back straight as he folded his arms.

 

“As long as it always gets your goat, you bet,” replied Han with a grin. Turning to face the new engineers, he continued, “I give him crap, but only because I love him.”

 

“You both have odd ways of showing your love and approval,” intoned Ben, seemingly bored. “But enough about us. Who are you?”

 

“This is Rose, the anime otaku I was telling you about,” said Han, pushing forward Rose. “She's going to the design side first.”

 

Rose put out a hand to shake, and Ben reached for it with an attempt at a smile, only to be pulled into a fierce hug by her as she squealed at seeing him smile. 

 

“It's so great to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you from your father!”

 

Han looked on triumphantly.

 

“Well, I'll be,” muttered Han. “She really is a hugger.”

 

“You didn't mention that helpful detail,” said Ben with a strained voice and pinched face as he was hugged excitedly by Rose.

 

Rey tried not to laugh, and failed, as did everyone else at his comment.

 

“This here is Finn. He's a big deal, and a Marvel fanboy,” said Han as he shoved Finn forward. “He also is starting in design.”

 

Finn tentatively walked up to Ben, who gave off an aura of “Don't touch me" after that hug.

 

After introducing the other new guy, who seemed to have a similar voice to Ben, Han moved forward to stand between Rey and Ben, a knowing grin on his face. He then put a hand on the back of both of them before encouraging them forward. 

 

“And you two are going to be best buddies, seeing as she is going to be joining your group first during her first stint in plant engineering. Ben, meet your future soulmate and gearhead enthusiast, Rey.”

 

It was just a simple jest meant to make everyone laugh, and normally, Rey would have joined in on the laugh. However, between the initial animosity and the intense stare they shared, the joke unsettled her somehow, making her pale a little. The only good thing was that Ben was equally taken aback, even going so far as to blush, clearly not expecting the soulmate part.

 

Everyone else chuckled as Ben actually made the first move to shake hands. She took his outstretched hand and gave him as firm a grip as she had his father. Ben seemed equally impressed by it.

 

Sotto voce, he stated as they leaned in, “Ignore him. He just enjoys making jabs about my lack of love life. Just don't tell him or my mom you already gave me the bird; they might start inviting you to family dinners on Sundays. Believe me, you don't want that.”

 

His warm breath hit her ear in an entirely wrong way. It sent chills through her as she smelled the worn leather he wore, a welcoming scent along with his own, earthy, male scent. Him speaking so familiarly to her already was a little surprising, given how stuffy he seemed, but seeing as he recognized her, there wasn't much to be done.

 

They finally pulled away, their gazes still stuck on one another. 

 

“Thanks for the advice, Ben,” she said with a friendly smile. 

 

She wasn't sure what else to say or do. Showing animosity now would be a dead giveaway, and she was grateful for the warning. She just wished that her saying his name didn't make his eyes soften in a pleasant way, making him seem more human and tender.

 

Drat him for that. She wanted to appear just as aloof as him. 

 

Lunch was started after that, with Finn and Rey seated next to another woman in Ben’s group, Phasma. She had an eternal smirk on her face, and they quickly discovered that she loved giving orders and sharing gossip.

 

“Rey,” stated Phasma, “if you have technical difficulties, make sure to go to Ren. He's a techie and loves helping others, as well as talking about anything related to computers, unlike Hux.”

 

Both Rey and Finn nodded eagerly, absorbing the helpful information. Phasma continued on, quite content being the center of attention. “Hux, the ginger over there, is known to throw temper tantrums about temperamental or slow computers. He actually threw one out an open window once. Whatever you do, don't talk about something called Starkiller Base with him or Ren.”

 

After that bit of info, Finn was distracted by the guy next to him, someone named Poe. That left Rey with Phasma, who inclined a finger to Rey.

 

“So, who do you want the dirt on?” whispered Phasma with a knowing grin. 

 

“What's the deal with Ben?” asked Rey, looking briefly at him again, then realizing that he was staring at her as well. She looked away quickly.

 

Phasma saw the interaction and laughed.

 

“Don't worry, he's always that intense with everyone. Especially whoever gets stuck in our group. He likes to get a feel for who he thinks best fits in the group.”

 

“Is he always such a stiff and aloof fun-sucker?” asked Rey. “He seems like a stick-in-the-mud.”

 

Phasma chuckled more before patting Rey’s hand. “Oh yes, he always is. Of course there's also that one rumor….”

 

“And what's that?” asked Rey excitedly, wanting to have something against Ben for the next time they butted heads.

 

“Well, it is rumored that he keeps this bright green lube in a jar on him or in his lower right desk drawer at all times.”

 

“He does  _ what _ ?” asked Rey as her voice rose several octaves, jerking her head to him at once in shock.

 

Eyes wide, she re-evaluated him with this bit of information. Well, given his good looks, she wasn't altogether surprised….

 

“So is he the resident sex god or something? Or does he just enjoy getting his kicks off at work and from behind?” she asked as she turned back to Phasma, trying and failing not to blush.

 

“No one really knows,” said Phasma mysteriously.  “He seems more asexual so far, never taking an interest in anyone here. Just be careful if he offers to take you into the field to show you what he does for his work. He always carries the lube with him for his….  _ jobs _ .”

 

Rey’s back stiffened at that, and she made a mental note to avoid all advances or overtures from him about his work, lest she spend even more time with those intense eyes and his odd tastes.

 

“But other than that, he's a perfectly normal engineer, grumpy and hating people in general. He'd rather read and interpret results and rules all day if given the choice between rules and people, but he'd choose working in the field over rules. He's perfect for all our plant’s NDE needs.”

 

“NDE?” questioned Rey at the new acronym.

 

“Non-destructive exam,” explained Phasma breezily. “You'll get used to the acronyms quickly. They're everywhere.”

 

Nothing else was exchanged between them before food was served. After everyone had a plate, the Poe guy came up and stood at the front of the room.

 

As he cleared his throat, Rey noticed that Ben scrunched up his face, as though preparing himself for whatever nonsense Poe was about to dish out.

 

“Welcome to Starpoint Woods Power Station! There are some who call me…. Poe.” After a beat and a lack of recognition of his quote from anyone, he grunted and continued a little more subdued, “I'm from design engineering and am a recent graduate of the rotational program. I'm here to give a little presentation while we eat. But first…”

 

He glided over to the four new engineers, who all looked at him curiously as he waited to finish his sentence.

 

“Let's learn more about our newest coworkers. You,” he suddenly said to Rey, pointing to her as he turned to face her fully, “What….. is your name?”

 

“My name's Rey,” she started, uncertainty in her voice. 

 

“What….. is your quest?” he asked in quick succession, leaning in.

 

Rey was confused for a moment, trying to place where she had heard that question before. Finally, she remembered.

 

“I seek more knowledge about nuclear power, rather than the Holy Grail,” she said with a grin.

 

Poe seemed all too pleased by that answer. Finally, he asked his last question.

 

“What….. is your favorite color?” 

 

“Blue,” she stated with finality, resting her joined hands against the tabletop.

 

“Go on, off you go,” he said, turning to Finn.

 

Rey thanked him and tried not to laugh when Finn was asked about the capital of Assyria. It seemed Poe loved  _ Monty Python and the Holy Grail _ .

 

When everyone had been asked three questions, Poe headed back to the front of the room and slapped the table that held the new computer on it.

 

“This old thing continues to live thanks to engineering ingenuity and a lack of funds to fix it,” he said with pride.

 

It was then that Rey noticed that Ben stood up straighter in his chair, as though preparing to get up. Not weird at all….

 

That was when a loud cracking noise made its way through the room, and Rey watched as the desk holding the fancy computer, the desk with items stacked under the wheels to hold it in place and not fall over, groaned as items shifted under it, one of the items cracking. The desk started to move forward, and Poe made a diving catch to prevent the computer screen from tumbling over. She was impressed.

 

She was not impressed by Ben who did stand up before disappearing out the door. Others came forward to grab items off the desk, and several argued about what to do with the desk now that the balance of items had been ruined.

 

Rey started asking others if they had any tools to fix it, but no one seemed to keep any on them, frustrating her. Nonetheless, she pushed her way to the ground and asked others to help turn the desk on its side so as to reduce the possibility that the desk would fall and become worse.

 

She had barely gotten the desk on its side when Ben came back, this time with a toolbox.

 

“Excuse me, subject matter expert engineer coming through, who knows better than to carelessly slap things. Move it,” he stated with a vein of arrogance as he situated himself next to Rey.

 

He seemed momentarily surprised to see Rey on her hands and knees with the desk on its side already.

 

“Not bad,” he said, taking stock of the situation. “No one's tried doing that without me forcing them to do it before. Excuse me, I need to fix this.”

 

As he complimented her (she was sure that him saying something wasn't bad was as close as he got to one), his eyes gave her another warm appraisal, and then he turned to the problem at hand, getting on his hands and knees to mirror Rey.

 

Wood glue was produced, as well as a few other items. In the time it took him to repair it, the computer was set up elsewhere for the presentation. Rey assisted him by finding and holding clamps for him, bending over or under him and getting cozy as needed.  She thought nothing of the closeness needed to finish the work, as his face and nose occasionally were abnormally close to her hair and neck. 

 

When it was all done, Rey felt a sense of satisfaction.

 

As she looked at Ben with newfound admiration - she always respected a guy who knew how to use his tools - she found that he was also gazing at her, his eyes darker and more intense as he took in her smile of joy at completing a task.

 

“So you feel it, too? The feeling of accomplishment at fixing something?” he asked awkwardly, trying to find something to say. 

 

“Always,” she said honestly. “You know, for an arrogant stick-in-the-mud, you're pretty good with your tools.”

 

“I'm great with all my tools,” he said with pride as he patted his toolbox and lap, making Rey blush. “That's why I can be arrogant.”

 

Rey huffed at that, but let it slide since he had come through, and pretty quickly at that. He obviously had been prepared for this situation.

 

“And you seem to know your way around a toolbox,” he said, remembering the way she had anticipated what tools he would need and handed them to him as he turned to grab them.

 

“When you grow up next to a junkyard full of old parts, you learn how to fix things,” she said with shrug. “It's either that or go without.”

 

He nodded in understanding and got to his feet, reaching out a hand to help her up. She took his outstretched hand and enjoyed the warmth found there in his firm grasp as he pulled her up so easily, making it seem as though she weighed nothing. 

 

When they were both up, they were quiet for a moment, eyes examining the other again as their hands remained joined, until a throat was cleared. They both turned at the noise and realized that everyone was still in the room, despite the lack of people that seemed to exist in the moment before, when they had focused solely on one another.

 

Only then did Rey pull her hand away, albeit reluctantly. Ben looked like he did not want to stop the contact, as much as his eyes seemed to pierce her.

 

Poe came up with a friendly grin before putting a hand under his chin as though to ponder something, and then he said lightly, “So, who talks first? Does he talk first? Does she talk first? Oh, the tension here.” 

 

Ben huffed at that and went to take his seat, deigning not to dignify the remark with a response. 

 

Rey had no idea what to say, so she quickly took her seat and avoided looking at Ben. Her body had betrayed her in that instance as their hands and eyes had joined. She still felt his warmth, smelled his balsam shampoo, and had tingling skin from where he held her. 

 

This was bad. Very bad. She had never before been so quickly attracted to a man. She knew it was attraction; she was all too aware of him and the presence he gave off. Hot guys who knew how to use tools were dangerous to her, and he was the embodiment of it, all wrapped in a nice package of barely contained manliness, bad boy looks, and prickly concern and respect that was clearly given seldomly. 

 

She was so doomed.

 

\---- 

 

While Rey and everyone else tried to focus on the presentation, Han turned to his wife and gave her a smug grin as he looked between Ben and Rey. 

 

Leia smiled in return, leaning over and whispering in his ear, “You win, Nerf Herder. I'm sold on them now. Name your prize.”

 

Rose, who was on the other side of Leia, looked to where the couple was watching and smiled. She had noticed the way Ben had checked out Rey while fixing the desk, and then their extra-long gaze.

 

“I ship it,” she whispered with a smile.

 

When the presentation was over, the new engineers were herded out of the room, off to fill out more paperwork. Rey caught one last glance at Ben, who was looking at her already.

 

When their eyes met, she turned quickly, and he smiled. 

 

Rey would almost swear that she heard him whistling Portugal. The Man’s song, “Feel It Still", but that was crazy, right?

 

Oh well, this whole situation was, and she was going to be working with him and his jar of bright green lube closely for the next three months. At least he would be helpful with computer problems. 


	2. Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben bond while working together, in the office and in forced closed quarters. The lube is also explained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I still don't own Star Wars or anything else I reference. All rights go to their respective owners. This chapter is heavy on Ben and Rey bonding. These are my favorite kinds of chapters to write. Thanks to Davina for being my beta on this. I hope you enjoy reading it!

Argh, it doesn't work!” screamed Rey in frustration at the dark screen of the computer that refused to log her on. She had been sitting on the phone with IT for forty-five minutes, and now this. Her mouse refused to move or work, despite her turning the mouse on and off.

 

Phasma, who was in the light gray cube across the purple-carpeted aisle from Rey, scooted her black wheelie chair closer to Rey before slowly sliding her head toward Rey in concern.

 

“Is something still wrong with your computer? That's odd. You’d better ask Ben. I'm sure he'd love it if you asked for his help.”

 

“I'm sure his ego would like it,” grumbled Rey before crossing her arms in annoyance. “I go to the bathroom for a quick second after wasting so much time on the phone, and now this. How am I supposed to get work done?”

 

“If you keep talking loudly like that, nobody else will, either,” shouted Ben from further away. “It's just a computer.”

 

Rey stomped off toward him at once, ready to fight him. Bring it, lube man. She had newly-bought, steel-toed shoes on; she was ready to cut him, or just kick him in the balls.

 

\------

 

As Rey made a mad beeline to Ben, Phasma began sniggering.

 

“This girl is too easy, and she annoys Ren. She's fantastic. General Hux, Overlord of All Things Computer, untape her mouse now.”

 

Crawling under the wall that separated Rey’s cube from his, Hux got to work at once, his beady eyes matching the evil smirk he wore.

 

“She's quite patient, actually, for a newbie mechanical engineer. If I still worked in IT, I would've preferred her over the other idiots. But this is way more fun.”

 

Random waves of rubber bands flying at Ben's head was normal and quite cathartic. Getting him pissed by making him work with new people and talk about computers was hundreds of times better.

 

“What's next, Captain, my Captain?” asked Hux. “How else shall we torment the new girl?”

 

“Let's see how long it takes and how worked up she can make Ren. If he roars in frustration, we'll do one less thing. If he knocks over a pile of his own neatly-organized papers, then we'll go easier on her tomorrow.”

 

“And if he declares that he never wants to see her face again?” he asked with glee.

 

“We'll actually help her for once,” replied Phasma with a satisfied grin. “He's never said it yet, but I think she's special. Did you see the death glare he kept giving her last week at the lunch?”

 

“Who could miss it?” scoffed Hux as he crawled back to his cube of neatness and pictures of computers and orange cats.

 

\-------

 

Meanwhile, a little further away, Rey was just finishing her extra-loud stomping as Ben leaned at a forty-five degree angle out from his cube wall, his eyebrows raised as though contemplating a great puzzle. His lips were pursed, but as he took in her stance, his face became less aloof and more amused.

 

“Are you  _ quite _ done creating a scene and giving a headache to all the people below you?” he asked smugly.

 

“Just tell me how to fix my computer, and I promise I'll leave you alone,” said Rey, her frustration fizzling out after all the stomping. She used his desk as a support, first for a hand, and then for her butt.

 

“Me? You expect me to help you, or know how?” he asked with derision, turning to face her fully as he realized that she wasn't leaving. 

 

“Yes, Mr. Techie. Not all of us have been here as long as you have.”

 

That ruffled a few feathers, if the shrug and snort were any indication.

 

“I've been here ten years, hardly that long compared to you,” he scoffed. “And besides, what makes you think I can fix it? Just because I can fix mechanical things doesn't mean I’m good with technology. I'm a nuclear engineer, not an electrical one like Hux. Ask him. I've got bigger things to worry about.”

 

That only made Rey scoot closer to him in defiance. She got in his face, leaning precariously on the faux-wood desk edge with her behind and two hands as she dared him to say such a thing again.

 

“Like what? Not supporting your peers?”

 

At the plant, there were daily status meetings to talk about safety and local plant gossip. Ben had given the safety pep talk that morning, saying that it was important to look out for others’ safety because it was supporting one's peers, a plant priority. Priorities were basically rules in his eyes.

 

For several tense moments, the two fought silently. Rey had just wanted to slap the cool, distant look off his face, but now she wanted to make him seethe the way he did her. 

 

And touch his hair.

 

But that was not a priority. Not at all.

 

Ben didn't like it when someone got the upper hand on him, and right now Rey was pushing all the right buttons. He wanted to strangle her, and then crush her face against his, where it belonged.

 

Suddenly, he understood why his parents argued so much. 

He was so doomed.

 

Instead of dwelling on that particular realization, he let out a low, animalistic growl and tipped his head up just a smidge, to see if she would back down then.

 

She didn't. 

 

“Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you that I'm useless,” he said in an undertone.

 

As he stood up, she got up as well. She didn't watch her footing, though, and tripped over one of the chair wheels that moved as Ben got up.

 

He dove forward for her at once to steady her, his arms clasping her to him. She, in her confusion, tried to find purchase on the desk for support with her right hand, but her hand got too close to Ben's pile of papers.

 

“No! Don't touch those!” he cried, his left hand reaching out for hers.

 

What he didn't expect was her left arm to latch securely around him, making him momentarily forget to breathe, or do anything else.

 

With their bodies pressed against one another and the desk, their eyes remained locked. 

 

It was a wonderful, breathless moment, until Ben attempted to bring his other arm around Rey to secure her better. That was when he forgot where he was, and knocked over his pile of papers instead.

 

“Oh!” cried Rey in confusion as papers floated around them.

 

Ben was dumbfounded and felt humiliated. He was getting distracted by a pair of pretty eyes in a fiery woman. He separated from Rey quickly and began scooping up loose papers.

 

She quickly joined him in seeking out all the lost papers. When she had found everything outside the cubicle, she brought them back to him with a wry grin. 

 

“At least it's only a few insignificant papers, right?” she asked. She gave a light shrug.

 

“No, these are my test results that I have to analyze, scan, three-hole-punch, and put into binders before approving them,” he said evenly. “This is going to take the rest of the day to fix.”

 

He wanted to tear his hair out in frustration, or better yet, punch a computer. He was all for troubleshooting computers in the most literal way possible. 

 

“Well, if my demon computer continues to act up, then I could help,” she offered with hope. 

 

He was quick to reject her.

 

“No thanks. I have a very particular system, and I don't trust others to get it right. I'll only throw you out.”

 

The resolute look he gave her didn't dissuade her in the least. This was a challenge from him; he was questioning her abilities. He shouldn't. 

 

“I'm a fast learner, and I'll probably have to help you at some point in the next three months. You might as well start showing me now. Who knows? It might be useful later,” she said rationally and persistently. “Let me thank you in some way for saving me from a graceless moment.”

 

She felt bad for making him lose his nice stack. It was the least she could do. He was just as stubborn as her, though. He didn't like change, and she was trying to change everything.

 

“No. I doubt you'll even go out into the field with me. No one new ever does. You're all as bad as design engineering.”

 

She looked at him curiously, noting that he seemed resigned to that fate. Was it possible that he wasn't that anti-social or as much of a grouch? Or did he like teaching?

 

“Give me a chance to prove myself,” she insisted. “I promise I'm really good at following instructions.”

 

He nodded, his eyes lighting up and crinkling just slightly at the thought of giving instructions to her. Then they headed to her cube and the demon spawn that Rey had for a computer. 

 

\-------

 

“She's on a roll so far,” hissed Phasma. “Let's watch the fireworks.”

 

“My mouse is refusing to work. It was until just recently,” explained Rey as the two drew closer. “I'm sure you'll know.”

 

“While I appreciate the vote of confidence, you've got it all wrong. Hux is the mastermind of Inservice Inspection and resident computer whisperer,” said Ben with a shake of his head. 

He strolled into the cube, took stock of the situation, performed a two minute drill to identify the problem and his surroundings, and then went to work, like any good engineer at the plant should.

 

He shook the mouse, and it worked.

 

“Yes! I can use the computer at last! Thank you!” cheered Rey, restraining herself from going over and hugging Ben.

 

“It's only Microsoft Explorer for internet, and a couple versions behind, like all software at this plant. Don't get too excited yet,” murmured Ben as he made his checks for Hux-created problems. 

 

He was annoyed with Rey a little for not realizing the prank, but mostly with Hux and Phasma now. They always ganged up on the new people and tried to make his life miserable. They had managed both at the same time now.

 

When he was satisfied, he turned back to face Rey, a finger pointed toward her.

 

“Whatever you do, don't come to me again for computer help. Go to Hux. You got that?”

 

“But Phasma said-"

 

“What, exactly?” he snapped. “That I'm a tech god and Hux hates computers and has thrown hissy fits because of them?”

 

Her eyes went wide, and she feared that she had just made a terrible mistake. Oh well, she was in this deep. Might as well enjoy watching him get angry if Phasma was wrong.

 

“Yes, she did. I can't believe someone would actually throw a good computer out a window like that. It's childish. Plus, they're also heavy,” she said by way of explanation. 

 

Ben’s gaze grew darker even as he colored at being called childish. He could hear the snickers from Hux and Phasma.

 

In a cold sneer, he replied, “For your information, that computer was light, comparatively speaking, for someone who works out as much as I do. Second, it was a piece of junk that my father refused to get rid of, a dinosaur. Until you've worked with it,  you'll never understand. It needed to  _ die _ .”

 

Rey blushed as she realized that Phasma had lied to her. What else was there?

 

“So I guess that means you do like talking about something called Starkiller Base?” she asked.

 

Ben left the cube at once, disgusted, and she pursued him.

 

Hux and Phasma howled with laughter. 

 

“I bet he's going to tell her to leave soon. He's so close,” said Hux.

 

\------

 

Ben was  _ trying _ to show restraint around Rey. It was hard, though, with that mixture of fiery defiance and total innocence that threw him completely off-balance. 

 

He was attracted to her, for unknown reasons. She was new and had no problem calling him out on his impatience and other nonsense. She thought him arrogant and boring. She wore her hair in a weird fashion. 

 

She was as stubborn as him, and wonderfully beautiful when she got going in a fight, or, for that matter, when absorbed in work. She was also good with her hands. 

 

She was many confusing things, and now she had insulted him. 

 

When they arrived back at his desk, Rey burst out, “Ben, look, I'm sorry. We didn't start out right. I trusted Phasma when clearly I shouldn't.”

 

“What else did she tell you?” he said turning around to face her, now curious and wanting to feel the pain just a little more, now that it had started. Better now to stop this little crush before it got worse. There could never be anything between them, anyway.

 

Based on her skills, she ought to join plant engineering, not the paper-pushing fools in design. 

 

She might end up working with him more, and if that happened, then they couldn't date for long. He was already groomed for the next open supervisor position in plant engineering.

 

“She, I,” she stammered with a telling blush. “I'm not sure if it's a good idea to mention it.”

 

“Just do it. I want to know what the office troll is saying about me these days to the newbies,” he said, trying to be light about it. “You're doing me a favor, and it'll clear the air.”

 

She peered at him, measuring his honesty. When she seemed satisfied, her eyes took on a curious glow.

 

“Is it true? Do you really carry around a jar of lube with you at all times and in your desk?”

 

Ben face-palmed before growling into his hand, “For the millionth time, it's not lube! It's coupling gel.”

 

“That sure sounds like lube to me,” snarked Rey. “For all those adventures you have in the dark, out in the field, right?”

 

Steaming, he pulled his hand away and reached for the gel in question, opening a desk drawer.

 

Rey's mouth popped open at seeing the green, gelatinous substance inside a jar. He picked it up and shoved it into her open hands.

 

“The only way I'd ever even  _ consider  _ having adventures in dark, hidden places is if-"

 

He stopped himself. He was embarrassed to realize that he was about to say if he was with her. She got him more excited, made him feel more alive, than anyone ever had.

 

What kind of alternate universe was this?

 

Most women just couldn't measure up to what he wanted. She, however, had fought him from the start, and owned it. Her attitude and fierceness called to him like few did. 

 

“If what?” she demanded, now curious. 

 

It was  _ not  _ because she wanted to know how much he did it with others before her.

 

“If someone actually went out into the field with me, but seeing as no one has and never will, it's not going to happen,” he said in annoyance. “Besides, the whole plant is lit up well. It's never dark wherever I go.”

 

Rey let out a sigh of relief. He clearly was being serious. It made her sad just a little. He must have a really lonely job. It was better for sanity and peace of mind to get good work done, but lonely. She understood that all too well from school and internships.

 

“I'd work with you, if you'd let me. I don't like my skills being questioned, any more than you do,” she said as she crossed her arms in defiance.

 

“You don't know anything,” he insisted. “Learning the mechanical engineers’ code of rules and everything that goes with it from me is a task feared by all, besides the gel.”

 

“Well, one of these days, you're going to have to explain and show me what this coupling gel does, or else I'm not going to believe you. When you're ready to ask for help, come grab me,” she said, trying to appear innocent as she made the decision to talk to Ben’s supervisor.  

 

He hadn't heard the last from her.

 

He gave her a hard look as she left. 

 

Ben found himself staring at her spot. What was she? Crazy? Delusional?

 

Maybe he was. He was actually considering asking her since he was on a tight schedule, and slightly curious.

 

\-------

 

An hour later, Mitaka, his supervisor, visited him with a huge smile on his face.

 

“There was a girl in my office just now,” said Mitaka, as though giving Ren a status report.

 

Ben turned around with a snarl and growled, “What girl?”

 

Mitaka flinched but continued on, refusing to let go of his smile of triumph. 

 

“The only new girl there is. After all the yelling the two of you have shared today, I'm rather baffled as to why she would blaze into my office and demand to work with you and learn what you do, Ren,” said Mitaka softly.

 

He tried to gauge Ben’s reaction as he went on. “But I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. If the girl wants to learn your skills, and given her mechanical proclivities-"

 

“You say that like it's a bad thing,” harrumphed Ben, looking away to hide his surprise. 

 

“Either way, I might finally have someone to replace you when you join my ranks. You're going to teach her, Ren.”

 

Ben still didn't say anything, so Mitaka forged ahead.

 

“Do it for the sake of your company, so that we can function without you. Change is coming; be a part of the change, rather than block it since you need it to advance. Please.”

 

Mitaka was weak. He loved kissing up to Snoke and always undermined his demands with weak talk, saying please when he should show total control.

 

Of course Ben would do it for the company. He wasn't stupid. As much as he had been wanting to avoid this fateful moment,  of having to teach someone everything, he knew this day would come. 

 

He was a little relieved that it was Rey. She seemed persistent enough to last.

 

“So she just asked you if she could shadow me?” mused Ben curiously, trying to picture the scene in his head.

 

“Nothing at all like that,” said Mitaka with an annoyed shake of his head. “She's just like you, ready to make demands if it means it'll help.”

 

“Oh really?” said Ben, a smile starting to form on his face.

 

Now this sounded entertaining. 

 

Mitaka got into story-telling mode, putting his hands in the shape of a square out in front of him. 

 

“Yes. Picture this. I was just sitting in my chair, reading about the lubrication program for its annual assessment, when she flies into my office. I invite her to sit, but she doesn't bother, just sets her hands down on my desk with a slight boom - much softer than yours when you're angry.”

 

“I knew I liked her,” said Ben with a full smile.

 

“Don't go teaching her those habits, too,” cautioned Mitaka, glad at least to see Ben smiling. 

 

“She's much more reasonable than you,” he continued.  “She actually bothered to explain why she wanted to work with you before demanding that she be allowed to shadow you and go out into the plant with you.”

 

Then he went in for the kill, what he thought would surprise Ben most. “She seemed to be under the impression that you would teach her, and even want to. I thought that was ridiculous, but agreed anyways. She starts reporting to you tomorrow.”

 

“Then I'll stop trying to organize these papers,” said Ben with a shrug. “I might enjoy this. I haven't had a legitimate reason like this to yell at a new person before. I can train her to appreciate the plant way more than design ever does.”

 

“Try not to scare her off, alright?” begged Mitaka. “For all our sakes.”

 

\--------

 

The next day, Ben watched as Rey breezed in, looking very pleased with herself.

 

She was a brave one, but not very smart. He would show her why everyone failed.

 

His father thought it positively great news, that Ben would have an apprentice, someone who was similar to him.

 

After some reflection, Ben was excited. He was willing to teach her because she was new and unfamiliar with other practices. She would know only his. She also seemed determined and willing. 

 

Nonetheless, he wanted to make her sweat on her first day.

 

As soon as she walked over to him, he picked up his heavy American Society of Mechanical Engineers Section XI code book and dropped it in her arms.

 

“Learn this. This is now your Bible. You have one week to learn about all the inspection acceptance criteria in this code book.”

 

Rey blinked, her excitement faltering for a moment. Then, she saw the title of the book, and her grin came back full force. Her voice was light and only slightly sarcastic.

 

“Don't worry, Master Ben. I already have my own copy. You forget that I'm a mechanical engineer. I actually learned about this in a class before graduation, even if it was only the basics. You can't scare me with that.”

 

Internally, he awarded her a point for the round. Outwardly, he was calm and expressionless. 

 

And trying not to enjoy her title for him so much. 

 

“I see. You still have a week. Learn it well. I will quiz you.”

 

She chuckled. “I expect nothing less. Mitaka was worried that I would know nothing as well. How does he not know much as a supervisor?”

 

Ben tried to hide his grin. Really, he did try.

 

“Because he was the boric acid corrosion control program owner before this position. You do know what boric acid is, right?”

 

“Ah, chemistry stuff?” she asked, not sure.

 

Finally, a nuclear application that he could explain. He had a habit of talking down to new people, but he restrained himself with her since they would be spending a lot of time together.

 

“No. It's a chemical that they put in only the primary loop, to stop and control the fission reactions in the reactor,” he stated. “Only pressurized-water reactor plants like ours use it, and it's in a separate loop compared to the secondary lake water loop we use for cooling.”

 

Rey watched his face light up as he explained one of the applications of his degree. His body and face seemed to enter teaching mode as he leaned in and his voice became sterner. 

 

“So the boric acid program has no code-related stuff, huh? Sounds easy enough,” she said. 

 

“If your idea of easy is to hunt down suspicious-looking white powders in hot, cramped, hard-to-see places in multiple layers of clothing, then yes, it's an easy job. Most avoid it like the plague. You'll understand when you get a dosimeter.”

 

Even Ben shuddered at the thought of taking the job, and he  _ liked _ going into the plant.

 

“The dosimeter? That's the bright green square you wear on your chest to measure radiation, right?” she asked for clarity. “That training happens in two weeks, the last training ever.”

 

She sighed in satisfaction before continuing, “After that, we can go on adventures in the plant, in all those well-lit places you speak of, even though it sounds like there are dark places.”

 

Ben laughed.

 

“What's so funny?” asked Rey, very confused.

 

“Yes, that's what dosimeters are. If you think that's the end of your training, then you're wrong. The nuclear business has more training than a school.”

 

He stopped for a moment to add dramatic effect. He was excited to see her response.

 

“Get used to doing those computer-based training. You'll be doing those yearly for the rest of your life. Also, containment will be dark, but you don't have to worry about that until spring.”

 

Rey gave him a horrified look at the thought of more computerized tests, and he gestured happily to an extra chair that he had brought into his larger cube.

 

“Sit down. Get used to this set up. It's time you learned how to organize. You'll be worlds ahead of the incompetent fools in design.”

 

“Aye, aye, Master Ben,” she saluted as she got comfortable. 

 

\---------

 

As far as teachers went, Rey was pleased to discover that Ben did enjoy teaching, or at least he liked doing it with Rey. 

 

Either way, she didn't care, as he pushed her to learn more about the intricacies of code. She realized how much it would take over her life if she stayed in that group. She couldn't decide if she liked it or not, but he made it interesting by giving real-world examples from his work and experiences, even showing her the equipment he kept nearby. 

 

He still refused to show her how to use or what the purpose of the coupling gel was, but he promised to give a demonstration when he had another job to perform. 

 

Their daily interactions almost always started out with Rey walking in and telling him that he hadn't scared her off yet. He continued to try to challenge her throughout the day, with a mixture of lessons, reading, and questions to keep her occupied.

 

He kept up a grueling pace of learning and quizzed her constantly, but it paid off. By the time she had training with her fellow new engineers, she thought the day was much easier by comparison, and she knew his system of organization better than anyone (besides him of course).

 

“Don't get too complacent in that class taught by Uncle Luke,” said Ben as Rey left for training. “And don't be late, whatever you do.”

 

“You've got even more family working here?” she asked in surprise. “Anyone else I should know?”

 

“Besides my Grandfather Anakin, no. Now get going,” he demanded, waving her away.

 

She went back to her cubicle to grab her purse, where Phasma piped up.

 

Ever since Rey had discovered that Phasma was less than honest, she was careful about what she believed. This time was no exception.

 

“Those Skywalkers are everywhere in this plant, even if Ren doesn't share their last name. Luke is definitely the oddball of them for venturing outside the engineering department, with focus on oddball. But you'll figure that out soon enough. Enjoy the banana suits.”

 

Rey had heard Phasma refer to Ben as Ren several times now, and while she was curious about why she called him that (after thinking that she had just misheard Phasma), she was afraid of not finding out the real answer. She was extremely confused about the banana suits reference, but hoped for the best. 

 

“I'll try my best to enjoy it,” called Rey to Phasma as she walked to the stairwell. Nearby, a very short, older man with tiny wisps of gray hair under a bright green ball cap looked up from cleaning out a trash bin as she passed.

 

He put out a hand, making her stop.

 

“Do, or do not. There is no try,” wheezed the old man. 

 

It was an odd thing to say normally, and she wasn't even sure if he knew what she was talking about. Nonetheless, she saw the caring wisdom in his eyes, and responded accordingly to it.

 

“Thank you. I will enjoy the suits, then.”

 

He smiled and nodded, and then went back to his cleaning duties, muttering to himself. 

 

Rey rushed off to training after that odd encounter.

 

\---------

 

Inside the training room, Rey discovered that this room was anything but dark. The white walls had many windows, letting in natural light on the sheer amount of yellow that filled the room, on signs, on clothing, and sitting in racks. The bright green posters about safety and enumerating rules still crowded the walls, but the yellow consumed the room by far.

 

The other three rotationals were already there, along with two older people. The main instructor, based on the presence of the clipboard and assessing gaze, was male and had a gray, grizzled beard. Next to him was a very short, stout woman with sagging jowls and a perpetual grimace. 

 

That woman eyed her as she came in with ten minutes to spare. The man simply looked her up and down, as though comparing the image of her to one he already had from previous conversation.

 

Of course, if he was related to Leia and Han, then no doubt he had heard much. He did look a little like Leia, so that must be the connection. 

 

“Rey, it's good to see you,” said Finn with relief. “After hearing that you were forced to work with Ben, we thought you might have to wait until he was ready to give you up. We hear he's demanding.”

 

Rose nodded in concern. 

 

“I asked to work with him,” stated Rey. “Don't worry, I'm managing him just fine.”

 

“No one manages my nephew, not even Snoke,” interrupted Luke with a shake of his head. “One can only guide him as he follows all written instructions and his ideals.”

 

All went silent as Luke joined in. The older woman frowned at Rey at her mention of wanting to work with Ben. Rey was not off to a good start with her, it seemed.

 

“Anyway, let's get started, shall we? I'm Luke, as I'm sure you've heard. I get dragged into doing this every time new engineers come, even though the training staff is perfectly competent, such as this charming woman beside me, Nan. She is the caretaker of all our anti-contamination clothing.”

 

Nan barely smiled at her name. Instead, she gave them glares, as though they were the cause of many extra hours of cleaning and work. Her folded arms did nothing to ease the new people.

 

Clearing his throat, Luke continued, “So, who wants to tell me what contamination is and why we want to avoid it?”

 

“Contamination emits harmful radiation and can hurt us if it touches our skin or goes inside our bodies,” said Finn.

 

“Exactly,” said Luke. “Just think of contamination as invisible, odorless dog poop.”

 

Four faces gave him dubious looks, all trying not to giggle like high schoolers.

 

“Do you  _ want _ to touch dog poop?” Luke asked, annoyed.

 

Four voices answered in the negative.

 

“Quite. It releases heat, just like contamination release radiation. It also contains stuff you shouldn't swallow. You never want to step in it, so if you must, then you use protection.”

 

Luke paced in front of the group as he explained the basics. 

 

“Anti-contamination clothing is your best friend,” said Nan, jumping in and pointing to the hollow suits on racks. “If you take care of it, then it'll help and protect you. It'll completely cover your person so that you get nothing in or on you.”

 

At this point, Luke stepped forward again, ready to talk about his department with pride.

 

“That's why we have a Radiation Protection department here: to protect you, the workers, from the potentially deadly radiation.”

 

As an afterthought as he looked at Finn and his watch, he added, “And to make sure that there are no radioactive spiders or spider bites that cause people to have extra limbs or superpowers.”

 

Finn groaned before murmuring, “There goes that life goal.  Back to finding the equivalent of vibranium.”

 

Luke thankfully ignored him and said, “But enough talk. Let's try on some clothing, shall we? Go ahead and follow the signs over there as to what to grab so that we cover every part of our bodies, except the face.”

 

“Wait, we're putting this over our clothing?” asked Rose. “Isn't that going to be warm?”

 

“Yes. Just what until you go into containment, where it is over seventy-five or eighty degrees Fahrenheit inside, wearing all this. Water will be your best friend, after you leave the area,” said Luke, herding the new engineers to the yellow cloth suits.

 

Everyone followed the written and verbal instructions from Luke to grab the clothing and put it on the right way. 

 

First were the canary yellow cloth boots, then the white cotton gloves, protecting the limbs most likely to touch something contaminated with the first of two layers of clothing. 

 

As they dressed, the other guy that Rey had barely spoken to, Matt, addressed her. 

 

“I heard you're working with Kylo Ren a lot. How is it? Is he as awesome as they say? I hear he has an eight-pack from the guys at the gym, that he's shredded. I haven't been there with him yet to see for myself. Have you seen it by chance?”

 

Rey was unsure how to answer his question at first. Then, she remembered the Ren name Phasma had called Ben, and that he was indeed gifted with muscle.

 

“No, he's never taken his shirt off at work, and he's not in the gym when I'm there,” said Rey with an even tone. “But do you know why people call him Kylo Ren? No one's explained it to me yet, and he always has me call him Ben.”

 

Then they began putting on the cloth coveralls, hood, and hard hat cover to shield the rest of their body, all yellow as well. 

 

“That's an honor,” said Matt with awe. “He prefers to be feared and be called Ren. When he first came to the plant, he told Snoke that he wanted to forge his own path, separate from his family. So, he was put in plant engineering, and Snoke gave him the new name Kylo Ren.”

 

“What's the deal with the separation between plant and design engineering?” she asked him. “Ben has a horrible opinion of design. Calls them all incompetent.”

 

At least once a day, he told her that she'd be bored in design, as they were all slow, lazy fools. She found it hard to believe.

 

“I haven't been there yet to know, but everyone in my department feels similarly about them. No one explains, though. Let's ask Finn and Rose.”

 

They were prevented from more questions as they put on the final set of rubber gloves and booties, officially completing the outfit. At that point, doing anything with their hands was next to impossible with the two layers of gloves.

 

“Wow, Phasma was right. I do look like a giant banana,” reflected Rey as she admired her handiwork, and that of everyone else.

 

Both guys didn't care one way or the other. Rose was a little more enthusiastic.

 

“I'm Big Bird!” she enthused, moving her arms like wings.

 

Luke started the training session after that. Each of the four took a turn performing “work" by walking into an area, following instructions to turn a wrench, and then exiting the area by undressing correctly.

 

On Rey’s turn to exit the area, she tried to follow the example of the others by using her feet to step out of the coveralls and then lift one foot in the air to remove the cloth boot, without using a hand bar for support. 

 

After much egging on from her fellow new engineers, she maneuvered to finally get out of the coveralls. However, after trying twice to keep her balance without holding on to anything, Luke stepped up, his voice patient.

 

“Rey, use the hand bar provided. It's ok to use it. You're stressed. Stop.”

 

Luke stopped speaking for a moment as well, and all was quiet in the room. Then he finished with, “Close your eyes. Breathe. Take a second; you have time. Always take the extra time to do it right the first time.”

 

She breathed out and opened her eyes, properly chastened. She would work on balance at the gym next time.

 

“Reach out. Good.”

 

As he guided her, Rey made her way out, much calmer. Once she was out, she gave him a grateful glance. 

 

Luke ignored it and had her do the next step of the training first. It wasn't until the end that he acknowledged her in any fashion.

 

“You're determined, I give you that. I'm sure my nephew appreciates that. Just don't let him wear you down. He pushes himself too much and expects it of everyone else. No one can convince him otherwise.”

 

“He'll know,” said Rey with conviction. “I'll make it clear to him.”

 

“Yes, and watch that impulsive streak. It's great for reflexes in the plant, but for doing the normal work and talking, it's not. Just take the time to do it right, rather than worry about getting it done now.”

 

He added for good measure, “Don't let your pride get you hurt because you want to do what everyone else before you did. A lot of people say safety above production, but it's a challenge to stay that way. Don't get caught in it, whether when life or the work changes. Believe me, both will.”

 

“I'll do my best,” said Rey, taking his advice to heart.

 

“Good, now get out of here. My nephew knows how long this training lasts. He'll probably give you an inquisition about why you're late coming back.”

 

Ben had done that before when she came back from lunch late once. She had learned her lesson to not dally when working with him.

 

\-------

 

Luke was right. Ben did ask, but when she explained that Luke had been passing on wisdom about safety over production, he seemed pleased. 

 

A week later, Mitaka came by the two of them as they were reviewing data, he carrying a bright green bundle.

 

“How are my hard-working engineers doing?” asked Mitaka with pride.

 

“What do you want?” asked Ben in annoyance, making Mitaka flinch back.

 

“I'm just making the first delivery of the coveted green shirt that everyone gets at some point while working here. Seeing as Rey will be joining you in the plant tomorrow, our wise Snoke wanted her to be properly attired. This is for you, Rey,” he said, handing Rey a bright green shirt, just like Han’s. 

 

Rey took the gift rather reluctantly, making Ben laugh. She wasn't looking forward to wearing it.

 

“Of course, if she's wearing one, then you'll lead by example and wear yours as well,” said Mitaka with a too-pleased grin at Ben.

 

Ben gave him a menacing glare but nodded in resignation. If Snoke wanted it, then he would do so.

 

Mitaka left after that, proud to give a shirt first and pleased to make Ben scowl about the shirt. Everyone knew that he despised the monstrosities. 

 

“I hate those shirts,” muttered Ben. “They ought to be burned or used for fuel at some other plant.”

 

“Given how much you love black, I'm not surprised,” ventured Rey.

 

“I wear black because of these blasted shirts,” said Ben. “I grew up being forced to pose in a photo every year in one of these shirts since my mother's so proud of working here.  She keeps the compiled shots on her desk for embarrassment purposes, I'm sure of it.”

 

Rey giggled at the thought of a young Ben glaring at the camera as he wore a too-big, bright green shirt, then rushing to take it off. She imagined it took more and more coaxing from Leia each year to get him to wear it, as well as to stop him from showing his displeasure in the photos.

 

“I'm definitely finding those when I go to design,” said Rey excitedly. 

 

Ben groaned before going back to work.

 

\--------

 

The next day, Rey spent almost an hour briefing with Ben about what safety hazards she could expect in the plant, and what they would be doing for his job.

 

When it was finally done, Rey began putting on her personal protective equipment, or PPE, as all the people called it. Too many acronyms for her, but Ben always challenged her to learn more.

 

After putting on her hard hat and shoes, she peeked at Ben. He was ready to go, his tight, bright green shirt showing off every muscle on his body. That would distract her, she was sure of it.

 

“Where are your goggles?” he demanded. “You need those, along with the gloves and belt, to hold the equipment.”

 

“Right here,” she said, showing them to him so he could inspect them.

 

He was pleased with the view she presented. If Bob the Builder’s Wendy had brown hair and was cuter, then she reminded him of Rey, her eager face ready to go into the plant for the first time.

 

As she put on her belt, then her goggles and gloves, she peered at him, her head tilted up slightly, looking for confirmation that she was ready. Her mouth made a small O, and her concerned eyes shook him. 

 

She was so determined to do this right and get his approval. She seemed young in that moment, and he was proud of her. She had come far since starting. For some odd reason, the safety glasses made her look cuter.

 

“You're ready. Let's go,” he said.

 

As they walked out, Phasma shot out, “Avoid the elevators today. I hear they're acting funky the last couple days.”

 

Ben scoffed and continued forward.

 

As they walked, Ben explained, “The elevators have issues from time to time, but I'm sure they'll be fine. We need to use them since we have big equipment and shouldn't climb the stairs with it in our hands.”

 

\------

 

As the two entered the plant, armed with all their equipment, Rey gasped and stopped where she was to stare.

 

She had seen photos of various parts of the plant from Ben, but they didn't do it justice. 

 

Miles and miles of piping and cables ran along the floor, walls, and ceilings of the main hallway leading to the main turbine and electrical generator, with all the piping connected to large tanks, pumps, and valves interspersed everywhere in the turbine building. 

 

Ben let her stare and absorb it all.

 

“I'll try to give you a systems overview as we walk,” he said.

 

She nodded and continued taking in the great engineering feat that was a nuclear power plant. 

 

“It's amazing,” she mouthed.

 

Eventually, they made their way to the building containing the auxiliary equipment where they were performing exams.

 

Recently, someone had seen an odd mark on a pipe weld and wanted assurance that nothing was wrong with it. Ben had to perform tests on the weld to check its thickness, and Rey would assist.

 

Rey was just really curious about how the gel was used.

 

After cleaning the weld, he asked for the coupling gel. As he worked, he talked.

 

“As you know, the equipment’s coupling will put a signal, some sound waves, into the pipe that we will measure with the machine. The coupling can't measure the signal as is, though. That is why we put the coupling gel on the weld, as the signal can be detected through the gel. See?”

 

He paused for dramatic effect, waiting to see a stunned look appear on Rey’s face that never showed. He sighed and grumbled, “Now, stop calling it lube.”

 

Rey smiled and agreed for the moment. She might still do it just to needle him. It always seemed to set him off.

 

After the work was done, they walked back, and he pointed out the good lighting. 

 

“The lighting is well-maintained here for safety. It's never dark in the auxiliary or turbine building.”

 

The two got on the elevator. The elevator groaned and moved into life, until a loud, shrieking noise was heard above them.

 

Suddenly, the elevator stopped between floors, and the lights went off.

 

“Good job, you just jinxed us,” commented Rey with a grin, leaning against the wall, content to wait.

 

Ben turned concerned eyes on her, but sensing her good humor, the stress in his body evaporated.

 

“Nonsense. Phasma was actually telling the truth for once,” he said with confidence. 

 

He went to the elevator call button and contacted the right people, who told him to sit tight. Both sat after that.

 

“There's no point in panicking,” he said. “It only stresses us out unnecessarily, or so I've noticed. We might as well relax until they get here. It won't be long in my experience.  I'll yell if I have to.”

 

“There's no need,” she said, voice soothing. 

 

The small area became silent. When Rey couldn't take it any longer, she decided that now was as good a time as any to learn more about Ben.

 

As it was, they could be stuck together a while longer yet, even if he thought it'd be only a few minutes. She was curious about him, and each conversation with him never was personal. He was the only one not to ask her about her colorful past. Not that she went out and talked a lot to people: they found her, usually on break without Ben.

 

At least here, if she asked an embarrassing question or had to answer one, she could hide her face in the dark.

 

“So, I take it you're not claustrophobic?” she asked conversationally.

 

“Not at all. My fears are nothing so mundane,” he responded. “You're not, are you?”

 

His voice rose with fear as if he was just now seriously considering the possibility. He moved a little closer, clothing ruffling closer to her, making her blush. 

 

This definitely counted as having adventures with him in the dark. He was close, and he seemed worried about her.

 

“Oh no, I'm not. I'm just curious about you. We never talk personal stuff,” she said, her legs starting to feel cold on the metallic floor.

 

She was pretty sure his face was now focused on her. She could feel his piercing eyes, even in the dark.

 

The temperature in the elevator seemed to increase by her estimation, even if her legs stayed cold.

 

“Do you actually want to know more about me?” he asked, his voice surprised. 

 

“Of course,” she said, as though it were the most normal thing. “But I imagine that since you're not like everyone else, you also talk about very different personal things when given the chance.”

 

“I trust few,” he said honestly. “Even Hux and Phasma, the two I know best, know comparatively little.”

 

She wished she could see him. She would bet good money that his eyes were trained on her in the same way they were when she asked him a serious question about his work. 

 

“But why?” she persisted. “I know I grew up in a series of foster homes with no sense of family or friends. I suck at trust. But you have a loving family.”

 

“You seem jealous of them,” he commented. “You shouldn't be. You're welcome to them.”

 

“But they love you so much,” she said, thinking of all the times Han talked of his son during her weekly meetings with him. 

 

“You may think so, but if you're a child who never sees either parent because they work too much, and won't spend any time with you, then you grow distant with them. It's pretty easy to do, honestly,” he said. “But I've been a part of the plant since conception and birth. It's what I know best. I tried a lot of other places for internships, but it wasn't here.”

 

He closed his eyes and considered all the Fortune 500 companies that he had interned with and found lacking. All they cared about was money and not the person, nor safety and the rules. This place was special, with its endless rules and regulations.

 

“You really like it here despite your family, huh?” 

 

“Yes,” he said in a small voice. “It understands and nurtures my need for order and following rules. I used to fear what would happen if I didn't continue my legacy and become an engineering director like my grandfather and mother,” he said.

 

“What made you change?” she asked, scooting closer to him. 

 

“We had a scare a couple years ago when something broke. There was a possibility, however small, that the plant would close. The thought of not working and living here is not something I want to consider again.”

 

His voice was so serious. It made Rey wish she could see him clearly, and show him that she felt that way about things in her life, too.

 

He continued.  “I'd give up being a director if needed. I'd do it to keep this plant safe and running, even staying in this position if it meant that someone with integrity kept the plant safe and didn't just tell the higher-ups what they wanted to hear.”

 

Rey was quiet for a moment, and then she awkwardly fumbled in the dark for him. Eventually, her right hand found his left wrist and gripped it tightly in understanding. 

 

Then, she said, “I think you should go higher. You'll be able to have a greater impact and inspire people to follow the rules better.”

 

“More like scare them into submission,” he chuckled. “I know how I feel about people and how I come off.”

 

‘Still, you could do it if you were a little more patient with others. Gave them a chance, like you did me.” After another pause, she said something in return for his sharing. “I've always wanted to belong. I've never found a place that I felt like I was part of something like a family, something bigger than myself. I've wanted it all my life.”

 

He sighed at her revelation. She couldn't see him or the understanding look that passed over his face briefly, before it became a scowl. If it was family she wanted, he knew where she would find it.

 

It annoyed him and challenged him because he knew that she was going to design engineering next, where the family atmosphere persisted in a way it hadn't at home growing up. He realized then that he wanted her to stay with him, and not go elsewhere.  

 

“You'll find it here,” he replied, his clothing shuffling against the cold floor as he moved closer. “The plant needs people like you, and the people all like you. They'll adopt you just like my father seemingly has.”

 

After a moment to consider his words, he added, “This is the first time I've seen my group respond so well to a new engineer. This is abnormal for them. Usually, Hux and Phasma just keep playing pranks on new people. I'm surprised they haven't waged a rubber band war against you, or made your computer just disappear like everyone else’s does.”

 

“I suspect it's because I make you rage and drive you crazy daily,” she said with a grin and slightly firmer grip on his body. “Phasma always congratulates me when you get loud.”

 

“Figures,” he grumbled.

 

His larger right hand closed around her smaller one. His voice was lower when he next spoke.

 

“But nonetheless, I'm glad you're here. You were right about being willing to learn and good at following directions. You also think for yourself. It's been a lot easier than I thought it would be. It gives me hope.”

 

Her voice mirrored his, her body instinctively turning toward his a little more. 

 

“I'm grateful you took a chance on me, despite our less than stellar beginning. I was worried I was wasting my time after our lube conversation.”

 

He laughed. 

 

“Everyone calls it lube. I'm used to it, for the most part.”

 

Hearing it from her lips right now, though, made him think of the real thing, and what it involved normally. It left his mouth dry and made his fingers begin making small circles on the back of Rey’s hand. It was so small and smooth. He wanted to feel the skin everywhere else.

 

He heard her breath catch, and then the light in the elevator suddenly turned on.

 

In that moment, they realized that they were less than a foot from one another, and both were blushing. Their darker, dilated eyes met, and they pulled back. 

 

Soon after that, the elevator began moving, and voices from the site‘s private fire department rang out, asking if everyone was alright.

 

\-------

 

An hour later, they made it back to their desks. Everyone came to check on them, even Han.

 

When he saw the two of them looking unruffled if a little pink, he slapped the back of Mitaka.

 

“I told you that my son would keep his head with Rey in his presence. He never even yelled at the rescuers for once, despite the actual delay from the tank movement elsewhere.”

 

He was right. Ben had been quite calm and quiet once they were interrupted. Rey was, too, but that was mostly because of the intimate position the two had been found in when the light came on. 

 

The moment his fingers began making little circles on her hand, she had shivered and felt warmth spread throughout her. His mind might have gone to where hers had, with her back pressed against the wall, while his mouth consumed hers passionately. 

 

That would have been a great reason to shed their distasteful green shirts. To touch his chest, and explore it fully. To see if his chest was hairy or not. She had a feeling he was clean, as he kept everything so neat and ordered. 

 

And then perhaps some exploration lower…..

 

However, she didn't want it to reflect badly on her in Ben's eyes that she couldn't stay professional, so she didn't ask him how he felt immediately afterward. She wanted to now, but was too worried to ask. He went right back to his desk, wanting everyone gone while he grabbed the data. She had done it before with success, so she wasn't needed.

 

The next time she went to check on him, he was gone for the day.

 

\--------

 

As she left work for the onsite gym, she stopped by Han’s office, curiosity pushing her there.

 

“Was Ben’s behavior really that off for him?” she asked.

 

Han turned away from his desk and got up. 

 

“Yes, highly abnormal. He is usually hoarse by the time he gets back from such situations. He's impatient normally and is calling out to anyone he can find to tell them, even after notifying the right people, since the other people in the shaft with him are usually uneasy or claustrophobic.”

 

Then Han gave her a speculative, assessing look. 

 

“Oh.”

 

That was news to her. He seemed so at ease, determined to be comfortable. But perhaps she had been at ease, so he didn't worry about it.

 

Some part of her hoped that he had liked being stuck with her, just as she had enjoyed it. Those stolen moments went a long way to making her like him even more. 

 

“You don't seem the type of girl to care about being stuck in an elevator,” Han said finally.

 

“Never have been, and won't be now. I thought the situation worked out quite well. We got to talk more, about something besides work. It was nice,” she said honestly.

 

Han smiled at her and then sent her home after her exciting day.

 

After she left, Han got on the phone.

 

“Leia, there's been an interesting development in the elevator situation,” he said, grinning. 

 

“Did you find out why he was so calm for once? Is he growing up, showing more patience and understanding for others?” she asked, hopeful for her son. 

 

“It's always possible, but I suspect it's because of Rey. Just now, she made it clear that she enjoyed being stuck with him and getting to know him better. I think he was embarrassed getting caught with her. She wasn't telling me everything, but she seemed genuine about spending time with Ben.”

 

Han was getting more excited by the minute. His son didn't usually care who saw him blow up. However, that appeared to have changed.

 

“You think they bonded?” asked Leia with excitement. “They might like one another?” 

 

“I think it's highly likely. You'll have to pursue it with Rey when she comes to you next. In the meantime, I'll probe her more,” said Han with anticipation. 

 

“Are you sure we should interfere?” asked Leia. “She's already being groomed to take over for him, and he's likely to take over that group. You know company policy says he can't date her if she works for him. That's abuse of power.”

 

“They'll make it work. Both are resourceful, and I still think she belongs in design,” replied Han.

 

“What's your plan for Ben, then?” asked Leia worriedly.

 

Han paused for a moment and then continued on, with only a little bravado evident in his voice.

 

“There isn't one. You know me. Whatever he's doing, it's working much better than I hoped for. We'll just help them along.”

 

“We should leave them alone,” persisted Leia.

 

“Think about whose son he is,” replied her husband.

 

“Never mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lube is based on a real thing! I saw it used in the plant one day, and I thought it was cool and odd enough to mention here. It definitely inspired this story to some degree as I imagined someone looking at it without any context misinterpreting it. Also, yes, the dog poop analogy is something that was used to explain it when I first came on.
> 
> Shout out to my sister who had the brilliant idea to have Yoda be an old janitor who likes to watch over all the new engineers.


	3. Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey leaves Ben's group to explore the larger world. And there are many little touches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I still don't own Star Wars or anything else I reference. Which is a bunch in this chapter. Songs and movies of all sorts. Be prepared for terrible puns and innuendo. Thanks to my awesome beta, Davina! I hope you enjoy reading it!

Rey really shouldn't have been surprised that everything changed after the “elevator incident”, as it was so termed by Ben's group. 

 

But she still was.

 

She was secretly glad that was the case.

 

The day after it happened, she was silent and uncertain when she walked up to his cube. 

 

However, he was already busy, reading something in small print on the computer,  his face serious and focused. His nose was scrunched up in concentration, and his large body was forced under the desk as he leaned forward to read up close. 

 

He looked so big and cramped in that moment, his broad, bulky frame seemingly so much bigger than the small desk and two monitors he had. 

 

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She laughed. 

 

When he heard her laugh so close, he flinched and knocked his knees against the bottom of the desk.

 

“Ouch! Are you alright?” asked Rey, immediately rushing into the cube and forgetting her mirth.

 

He turned an annoyed glare on her.

 

“The next time you want to sneak up on me, just say boo like everyone else. Having you do it by laughter is just….”

 

He didn't want to finish that sentence. Nothing he said reflected well on her or him. 

 

He was also still smarting from the incident. He was certain that she regretted it. That she wanted to escape him. He had sensed her embarrassment. It was okay to talk with him, but not around others. It just wasn't done. No one ever did.

 

He had thought she was different. Now, she was laughing at him for unknown reasons, right after a close moment alone.

 

“I'm sorry,” she apologized, “it wasn't right for me to just stand there awkwardly and wait for you to notice me. But you just looked so big and cramped up there at that tiny desk. Isn't that uncomfortable?”

 

He gave her a speculative glance and then shrugged.

 

“Yes, it always is. Why are you standing there awkwardly when there's data to process, though? Time is being wasted,” he said, something of his former good humor of before trickling in as he pointed to his watch.

 

She saw it and smiled as well before saluting him as she preferred.

 

“Aye, aye, Master Ben, the good ship Rey is ready to cast off into the deep. Lead me home.”

 

It was meant to be a silly extension of her normal saying, continuing the boat metaphor, but the idea of either one of them leading the other home made her blush. Her mind was still in dangerous waters.

 

Thankfully, his mind seemed to be just as agreeably occupied, as he averted his face before his face also turned red. 

 

Rey pulled up her normal chair, but she couldn't stop herself from asking what she had wanted to ask since the day before.

 

“Ben, are you alright? After yesterday?”

 

“Of course I am,” he said, a little faster than he intended. “Why?”

 

“It's nothing really,” she said, looking down at her hands. “But, I know we discussed some things that we don't normally do. It was…. nice. I hope it's not the last time we do that,” she said, letting her hand touch his arm hesitantly. 

 

She wasn't sure what she had been expecting when she touched him, but it wasn't the stirring of some kind of new tension between them. It was a veritable warmth that sparked something dizzying and exciting within her.

 

The feeling intensified as he turned his head and stared at her with wild, dark eyes. There was no hiding the wonder and surprise in those expressive orbs.

 

“Truly? I thought you were embarrassed,” he said, his eyes not leaving hers.

 

Her breath caught in her throat, just as his did. Her blush deepened just a shade.

 

“The  _ only  _ reason I was embarrassed was because of where my thoughts went right before the lights went on,” she said honestly, her hand rubbing circles on his arm almost unconsciously. “It wasn't very professional, and I wasn't sure you wanted to talk about it all. Most men don't.”

 

Ben suddenly found himself feeling ridiculously happy. He shouldn't after such a thing being said, but she had negated his worst fears. She was willingly touching him, and it was quite possible that he wasn't the only one who felt that, dare he think it, sexual tension between them.

 

It excited him in a way nothing and no one had before.

 

The smallest of smirks crossed his face as he laid a finger against her busy hand. This touch was just as powerful in stirring up what was starting to form between them.

 

“I understand your reluctance. But, one thing you'll discover about me, Rey, is that when it comes to you, I'll discuss anything. Now that we've shared our hopes and fears, there's nothing safe. Now we're  _ forced _ to talk more. Can you  _ bear  _ it?”

 

It was what was in his eyes that unsettled her. It was dark and curious, hungry for more. It matched her own desire to know as much about him as she could manage.

 

He may have been fond of using dry humor to hide his concerns, but she was determined to satisfy that curiosity. 

 

She doubted it was as strong as hers.

 

“Oh, I think I can.”

 

When she left that day, she was certain that everything had changed. There was more unspoken between them like never before, and yet they did talk more, at least around lunch time. 

 

He stopped five minutes before lunch to tell her about some car part that he couldn't find and was frustrated about. It was simple enough, but it was perfectly calculated to draw her in, as she loved talking about cars. 

 

He did the same thing the following day, and in the days after that. Better still, he continued the little touches. 

 

His words became lower - much to Hux and Phasma’s disgruntlement - and softer, as did his touches. 

 

His eyes followed her more often, and Rey was unashamed to admit that hers did the same. 

 

\------ 

 

And so a new norm developed between them. He continued talking to her about a wide variety of topics, and Hux and Phasma took to playing more pranks on her. 

 

Rey didn't care. The good far outweighed the bad.

 

Ben even tried on a few memorable occasions to bring others into the conversation. That was awkward and weird, at least for those he tried to include. 

 

He also took her into every floor of the plant, letting her explore every area to her heart's content. He discussed how all the systems worked together as they explored, and Rey loved every second of it, seeing the big picture. 

 

He wanted her to see what she would miss being away from him. She just wanted to understand everything around her.

 

About two months in, she happened to run into Matt while she was delivering data to someone else to review. 

 

“Rey, what are you up to?” he asked with undisguised interest. He tried peering over the papers to read them. “Is that something related to what Kylo Ren does?”

 

She nodded before attempting to explain the whole datasheet to him. He took to it eagerly and wanted to learn all about it. When he began asking more in-depth questions, she insisted on a change in location.

 

“I don't know the answer to that, but Ben does. Why don't you come with me, and I'll introduce you to him? I bet he'd love to answer all your super-detailed questions.”

 

Matt looked like he was a little boy on Christmas Day, opening a highly desired present. Rey was pretty sure he bounced up and down.

 

“Really? You'd introduce me? That'd be totally awesome,” he enthused. “Let's do it.”

 

At first, Ben didn't mind explaining, and then Matt proved that he had a lawyer for a mom, asking questions for the next two hours.

 

By the time he left, Ben had absolutely wrecked his hair from all the unconscious ruffling he had done.

 

“Kriff, I thought I was bad. He's worse somehow,” groaned Ben. “I hope I don't get stuck with him.”

 

Hux, who happened to be close by, heard the earnest wish. That wish inspired an idea, a perfectly awful idea. Then, he shared the idea with Phasma, who agreed at once and went with him to Mitaka.

 

“Hux has had a brilliant idea,” she said, evil joy filling her face.

 

“I have a bad feeling about this,” murmured Mitaka to the ceiling before continuing, “What is it?”

 

“What if we take whoever is chosen from the rotational engineers and make them Ren’s replacement? We could have all of them learn from him like Rey is. I'm sure  _ all  _ of them are just as industrious as she.”

 

“That actually  _ is  _ a good idea,” said Mitaka with wonder. Let me bring it up with Snoke, but I say we run with it. It'll solve all our problems.”

 

The two left after that, saying to one another with a wink, “Mischief managed.”

 

Matt appeared three days later with more questions. Ben almost threw him out of the office a few hours later.

 

Phasma finally got her wish the day afterward when Ben lost it and fumed to Rey that he never wanted to see Matt again. 

 

Phasma decided to invite Matt over for tea in the office on a regular basis. Anything to get him to ask more questions and get that reaction again.

 

\--------

 

On the second to last day of Rey being in the office with Ben, her computer monitors were not there, and Phasma wasn't at her desk. It seemed that the pranksters would continue their traditions.

 

She was about to head over to Ben when something small hit her head. She looked around and felt for it, and when she saw a rubber band, she threatened, “I'm a fierce rubber band fighter. Don't start something you don't want me finishing.”

 

Another rubber band defiantly hit her, and then another. She gathered them between two fingers.

 

When a flurry of rubber bands cascaded down upon her head, she released a battle cry, making Hux and Phasma laugh.

 

“Dear me, what  _ was _ that?” giggled Phasma from an empty cube behind Rey.

 

“That's the sound of victory,” breathed Rey, pulling a rubber band into position. “My name is Rey; you hit me with a rubber band. Prepare to die.”

 

Hux laughed until he felt one hit him. Then another.

 

Phasma wasn't safe, either. Rey began her assault by sending projectiles into both cubes one after the other until she used all twenty of them.

 

Then they returned fire from their cubes with even more. When Rey came back for revenge, she ran past their cubes in a drive-by event that truly impressed them.

 

It was only after that when they called a cease fire, a new goal in mind.

 

“Rey, join us. Together, we can obliterate Ren. We have the monopoly on all rubber bands. What do you say?”

 

“I get first dibs on Ben,” she said with enthusiasm, an evil gleam in her eye as she shook hands with them. 

 

“Perfect.”

 

\---------

 

Ben didn't know what hit him. He had seen Rey's monitors being carted off to some undisclosed location and figured she would chase down the culprits. 

 

What he didn't expect, besides the Spanish Inquisition, was for Rey to join them.

 

She sidled up to the edge of his cube, a coy look on her face.

 

“I'm distracted today, Ben. Sorry.”

 

He was about to reply when her look changed dramatically and became downright evil.

 

“I want to do bad things to you,” she purred, making him freeze on the spot. 

 

It was in times like that that they both played with fire. They loved pushing the other just a little further. 

 

Neither had been so blunt before, though, and he was caught off guard.

 

Then, she struck.

 

A long volley of rubber bands, all in place on a hand that had been hidden before then, suddenly creamed Ben in the face and chest as she whooped with pride.

 

It was when she entered his cube to retrieve some of them that he seemed to finally unfreeze. He got up from his chair and took two large steps until he crowded her against his back wall.

 

He towered above her until he leaned in further, his face now level with hers. His eyes promised retribution and more.

 

“Believe me, Rey, the feeling is mutual,” he said, his voice guttural and smooth. His eyes looked her up and down very deliberately - making her heat up and more indignant - before he moved to her right ear.

 

“I can give you ideas of where to put that middle finger you want to give me right now. Just let me return the favor,” he commented darkly.

 

Rey shivered and wanted desperately for him to say more. However, in his eagerness to appear seductive, he had moved too close to her.

 

He continued whispering by saying, “Just like this,” placing a hand on her hip, and another around a rubber band to prepare to hit her with it.

 

However, since he was so close to her, his tongue accidentally touched her ear, and her hands suddenly became magnetically attached to his shirt as her head leaned closer to his, their opposite ends attracted through a force stronger than magnetic fields. 

 

She needed to touch him, to feel this more fully, just as he did. There was nothing else in that moment, only one another.

 

For a moment, he forgot his evil plan, and enjoyed the burgeoning tension between them. It was too delicious not to, especially since she didn't fight it. She just continued looking at him like she wanted him to do it more.

 

Finally, coherent thoughts came back to him, and he sent the rubber band at her stomach.

 

“Ow!” she cried when she felt it. “What was that?”

 

“Payback,” he said simply. “Now, you have two options here. The first is continuing on your path with those two troublemakers and being showered with rubber bands by me. The second is far better: you can join me instead. Together, we can rule the office.”

 

She made a show of considering his offer.

 

“What if I already agreed to join them? They promised a monopoly on ammo; what better offer can you provide?” she asked in a husky tone.

 

She didn't really care at that point. Ruling the office did sound better, as did having him not hitting her, but she was unsure if a lack of ammo was more daunting.

 

“My aim is far better than theirs,” he confided. “I grew up playing baseball with my dad; my ability to hit people is legendary, intentional or not.”

 

She chuckled at the thought of him and his father in little league, all the other kids scared of his intensity while Han cheered him on.

 

He brushed a few hairs away, the heat of touch burning her. She was almost sure he was marking her in some way, even though it was only hair.

 

“Rey, you're only here for two more days, and then you're abandoning me for design engineering. You won't deny me, will you?” he mock-pleaded, his eyes growing wider.

 

It was hard to say no to him when he looked at her like that.

 

“Let me get some ammo, and then let's make it rain in here. I want to leave this office in a blaze of glory.”

 

“Oh, you'll do that,” he said with a smirk. “I'll make sure of it. Now, lead those two to me, and then we'll have even more.”

 

It was easy to get more from them, and then they took their turn at him. He allowed it and took it far too well for their liking, all while Rey snuck in to their cubes and found more weapons of office disruption. 

 

After that, she and Ben started with Mitaka, and then moved on the rest of the office. Hux and Phasma joined them, trying to convince everyone that it had been their idea from the start. 

 

It was the best day Rey had in the office. 

 

\---------

 

The next day started more somber. Everyone expressed their regrets at seeing her go. Most wanted her to stay, just because Ben was more manageable around her. 

 

Even Hux and Phasma seemed reluctant to see her go.

 

“You actually seem to like me, despite my bad advice,” stated Phasma. “You're alright in my book. You're welcome back.”

 

Rey nodded and gave Phasma a hearty handshake. 

 

The leave-taking with Ben was the hardest. 

 

“I heard we’re getting Matt next,” said Ben with a hopeless look. “I'm screwed.”

 

“Well, you could always call me in procurement engineering to complain or talk cars,” Rey volunteered hopefully. “I wouldn't mind.”

 

“As long as you agree to call me and tell me what you think of those lazy bums in design. I really want to know what you think of them,” he said, nervousness in his voice.

 

“Why? What worries you about them?” asked Rey, noticing his anxiety.

 

“I could be wrong, but they have the sort of family atmosphere that you're looking for. I think you'll enjoy it too much and want to stay.”

 

And leave him. That was left unspoken but there all the same. He didn't want her to go.

 

“I've gotten too used to having you around,” he rushed on, not really thinking it through as he spoke from the heart. “I'm not ready to let go of you. Whatever this is between us, it's better than anything else I've known, and easier than breathing. I actually ignore my work for you.”

 

Rey smiled at the sentiment. As dedicated as he was to work, that did say something. Her light touch sent some reassurance to him, but not enough.

 

“Help me, Rey, and don't leave me with Matt. You're my only hope.”

 

At that, Rey laughed and leaned her head against his chest, enjoying his presence one last time. His natural, male scent, and the familiar softness of his black, cotton shirts. She drew strength from it.

 

When she pulled back, his eyes were intense and full of swirling emotions that she was sure matched her own.

 

“I don't know why you fear Matt so much. He idolizes you and will make a fearsome defender of all the rules you hold dear. You could do far worse.”

 

Ben gave her a betrayed look before she continued quickly.

 

“But, besides that, I'm going to miss you, a lot. I'll think of every excuse I can to come to the plant, and inspire everyone in design to do more inspections in the plant. I won't forget you.”

 

Neither one had any idea how to ask about the tension between them, whether it was better to ask, or avoid it so they didn't lose what they liked so much.

 

Instead, they hugged awkwardly, and pretended to ignore the other smelling their hair as they did the same.

 

“Just force my father to let you stay! He likes you,” yelled Ben.

 

“I'll see what I can do to force him,” she said in amusement as she headed back to Han’s office before going to her new building. 

 

As she did, the ubiquitous short janitor nodded to her before tipping his hat and saying, “May the mass times acceleration be with you.”

 

\-------

 

“Rey! Come on in and join Chewie and me for a celebratory snack,” said Han from a table when she walked in.

 

“Why are we celebrating?” she asked, smiling at Han’s best friend and coworker, Chewie. 

 

“Not one complaint was filed by any of the departments for the new engineers this first cycle. It's a miracle,” replied Han in relief.

 

“That's weird. I thought Ben had complained about Matt,” she stated, thinking back.

 

“Oh, he did, multiple times. But he doesn't count since he is Ben,” said Han good-naturedly. “He will always do that. It's not about you, and that's what counts. So, what did you think? Ready to join that group? You like Ben?”

 

Rey considered the question carefully before speaking, trying not to blush. Talking about just how much she liked Ben was a terrible idea, especially with his father.

 

“I love working with Ben,” she said honestly. “He has so much knowledge, and I could talk to him for weeks or months and never learn everything, or be tired of talking to him. The rest of the group was alright.”

 

“Can you see yourself doing Ben's job one day?” asked a genuinely curious Han.

 

“I suppose I could, but I'd like to see what else there is out there first. This plant is huge and complex. I'm excited to see more,” she said with enthusiasm. 

 

“I'm glad to hear that. You've certainly shone in there with Ben, and it was noticed. Keep that up, and you'll go far here. Good luck, kid, in design. I think you'll love it there.”

 

“Really? Ben thinks so, too,” she commented, her voice softer at his mention.

 

Han watched and smiled indulgently. 

 

“Because he sees and knows what I do about you. Probably much more now. Now, Finn should be here in a few minutes with Rose, and Matt should arrive shortly. Sit tight.”

 

A short time later, the four engineers were reunited, full of stories. Rose and Finn had a sad farewell as Rose headed to systems engineering at the plant, and Finn went to design engineering, the structural section, in the REBEL Base, as it was so termed by everyone

 

Matt was beside himself with excitement at finding out he would be working with Ben for the next three months. Rey was extremely curious about procurement engineering. 

 

\----------

 

Above them, Ben was gloomily reading something when Mitaka too casually walked up to Ben's cube and leaned against it.

 

“Hello, Ren. What's happening?”

 

Ben was going to give an angry retort, but for once, Mitaka didn't let him and ran headlong into the decision made by someone above his pay grade.

 

“Ah, we have sort of a solution here. Yeah, you apparently now will have every rotational engineer coming to work with you this year so that by the end, whoever comes to our group will be your replacement. You're expected to train all of them, just as you did Rey.”

 

“I'm sorry, what-"

 

Ben almost lost it there, but Mitaka continued on, still cool as a cucumber. 

 

“Yeah, this is a new thing that Snoke decided after Hux and Phasma suggested it. Did you  _ see _ the memo about this?”

 

“No, I didn't,” growled Ben, giving a murderous look to the bearer of bad news. “I don't have it. Mind giving it to me? Now?”

 

“Yeah, I'll make sure you get a copy of it. ‘Kay? See you.”

 

And off walked Mitaka into the office space.

 

Ben wished he had some way of making Mitaka magically forget such a memo existed.

 

\-----------

 

“So, why is this building called the REBEL Base by all of plant engineering?” asked Rey of Finn while he drove her to her new office. 

 

They were sharing a ride for the day since it was only a half day, and Finn and Rose always drove together.

 

Rey could tell that they were already a couple. The two kept smiling at one another when they thought no one else was looking.

 

“Well, REBEL stands for Reactor Engineering Building and Engineering Library. It's just shorter and faster,” said Finn with a shrug.

 

Rey was about to ask more when he continued.

 

“Also, in the established emergency plans for the plant, this is the base of operations so that everything is run smoothly and from outside the thirty mile fallout range of the plant, in case the emergency got serious.”

 

“I didn't know we had such a plan,” wondered Rey. “Ben never mentioned it.”

 

“Yeah, the area for emergencies is pretty huge and cool. The plan is pretty detailed, too, from what someone showed me. Makes sure they're ready for anything.”

 

Rey nodded, glad to know they were prepared.

 

“Plus, I kinda like being called a rebel, you know? Like we're fighting the good fight against those conceited drama queens in plant engineering,” said Finn with conviction. 

 

“What is the  _ deal  _ with the hate between these two departments?” asked Rey indignantly. “Why can't we learn to get along?”

 

“Because they're too proud to ask for our help, and when they do, it's at the last minute, without any care if we're in the middle of something just as important. They never answer our phone calls, so we don't answer theirs.”

 

Finn said it so easily; Rey sighed in consternation. No wonder the departments were so separate. 

 

“Why don't you ever go into the plant?” she asked, curious to hear his response.

 

“Well, I haven't really needed to,” replied Finn. “It's a half-hour drive there that takes forever to get into the plant, all of that hurrying up pointless when we get stuck at security or something else. It's a waste of time. Plus, we have lots of pictures of stuff at the plant. We have what we need normally.”

 

“But aren't you curious about it at all? To see how big and awesome it is? I've never seen anything like it,” said Rey, thinking of the buildings she had visited.

 

“Wait, you mean you've gone in before multiple times? He took you in?” Finn asked in shock.

 

“Yeah, we were going in almost weekly for a while,” she said nonchalantly, thinking back to all their adventures together.

 

“That's so cool, and really surprising,” said Finn in awe of her. “Leia says that he has always been a lone wolf who is frustrated by people, especially new ones. You  _ must _ be special.”

 

Rey tried not to read too much into his statement. She wanted to be special to Ben; she just didn't want to get her hopes up.

 

“Not really. We just get along well,” she said. “We respect one another.”

 

Finn gave her a look, and Rey sputtered. 

 

“What? It's true,” she said in a small voice.

 

“Yeah, and I only sorta like Rose,” quipped Finn.

 

“I was going to ask about that,” said Rey. “You two were pretty cute in the office.”

 

“Did you know that kawaii means cute in Japanese? I never knew that, before Rose,” said Finn with a far-off look and a goofy grin. “Did you think we were kawaii together?”

 

“Oh yes,” said Rey happily, patting his arm. “You just need to give her some roses and propose to her at an anime convention now.”

 

“Do you think the roses would be too much? I know she loves them, but what about something from her favorite anime as a special token instead?” asked an unphased Finn. “She's special.”

 

Rey smiled.

 

“We're going to a con together in a few weeks,” reflected Finn. “I've never been to one before, but she's helping me make a spiderman cosplay for it. I'm trying to figure out some way to ask her to be my girlfriend while we’re there. Would hanging upside down and asking for a kiss and official label be too much?”

 

Laughing, Rey replied, “No, I don't so. I think she'd love it.”

 

“You could come if you want,” said Finn out of the blue. “She's been talking about inviting you, along with Ben. She ships you two together.”

 

“She what?” asked Rey in shock. “No, we're not, that is-"

 

“It's cool. Don't worry about it,” said Finn as he chuckled about her blush. “He's awkward but seems to like you. He's never treated anyone like that before. Leia thinks you're special.”

 

“Oh no,” groaned Rey as she thought back to previous conversations. “So does Han. Ugh, I hope they're not going to say anything. That's going to be awkward.”

 

“I doubt it,” consoled Finn. “Leia wants you in design too much to risk it by saying something about it. What if you actually didn't like him?”

 

The fact that he seemed to think that she was good with Ben and already liked him surprised her. However, much to her relief, it seemed Finn, Rose, and the Solos were the only ones who saw anything. Everyone else just told her that she was lucky to survive Ben Solo.

 

Finally, the carrot-orange REBEL Base came into view, nestled among more trees. It was even more in the middle of nowhere in D’Qar than the plant was in Illenium. 

 

\----------

 

“Welcome to your new home,” greeted a standing Leia as Rey walked into her office.

 

Seated around Leia were Holdo, Ackbar, Poe, and a few others that Rey didn't recognize. It didn't seem intimidating (unlike in her last group) because everyone seemed genuinely happy to see her. Not only that, but they had food!

 

She gave a warm smile because this was  _ exactly  _ what she was looking for in an office, as Ben had predicted. They seemed welcoming and actually had free food, unlike her last office. 

 

The only free food she had ever seen in Ben's group was cookies. Phasma liked cookies with her tea, and sometimes she made them for the whole office.

 

Poe got up and clapped Finn on the back before coming over to Rey and elbowing her.

 

“I bet you're glad to escape the taskmaster‘s clutches, if you know what I mean, know what I mean? Nudge nudge, know what I mean?”

 

“I beg your pardon?” asked Rey in confusion. 

 

“Ah, say no more!” cried out Poe with enthusiasm.

 

“Oh, cut it out, ‘Eric Idle’. You need another hobby,” cut in Holdo with an exasperated look. “Let the poor girl breathe before you overwhelm her.”

 

“Now see here,” began Poe. “I think I'm quite good at the accent, and I have plenty of hobbies-"

 

“Not here, married couple,” interrupted Leia with a long-suffering look borne from many such conversations. “Rey’ll be here for quite some time, in any case. Let's try to be pleasant for once, shall we?”

 

Poe gave Holdo a look before glancing over at a blonde with two buns in her hair. She gave Poe a pleading look as well. He sighed.

 

“Fine. I just wanted to let her know that she was safe from Ben here. And that we call dibs on her for the Big Game. Let's eat!”

 

\-----------

 

As they ate, Holdo came over and started explaining more about what she did, and what Rey would be doing underneath Holdo.

 

“Call me Amilyn. Now, as you might have heard, I'm in charge of procurement and reactor engineering.”

 

Rey nodded, her knowledge of Holdo limited.

 

“Reactor engineering has some aspects in both design and plant engineering, so I split my time between the two offices. If you ever want to share a ride to the plant together, let me know. I always love company on the drive.”

 

“Thanks!” chirped Rey. “I got used to going into the plant a lot with Ben. I'd hate to stop completely now.”

 

“You don't have to if you don't want to. It'd be good for all of us to go there more,” said Holdo as she raised her voice and looked at Poe meaningfully. 

 

Poe politely ignored her and dug into his submarine sandwich while talking to Finn about the project in structural engineering Finn was inheriting from Rose.

 

“In any case, reactor engineering has to do with the design of the core related to the uranium fuel we use, whether in arranging the fuel for even power levels, doing safety analysis, or in watching the power levels of the reactor so that it is done safely.”

 

Holdo took another bite of food.

 

“You'll see a little here and much more when you go to systems engineering,” she said helpfully. “I'm sure Ben could talk your ear off about it since he studied that in college.”

 

Rey smiled at the thought of Ben.

 

“Oh, he has. I make sure to allow at least an hour for those conversations.”

 

Holdo chuckled before continuing. 

 

“I'm good friends with Leia. She helped me get where I am today by supporting me, especially in a time when women becoming supervisors was rare. Women are slowly making a mark in the nuclear industry, and Leia is a well-known leader in it. She will be greatly missed when she retires in the upcoming year.”

 

“Wait, so soon?” asked Rey in surprise. “I wanted to get to know her better.”

 

“Make the most of your time now,” said Holdo. “Now, about your job.”

 

“Let's go take on the world!” cried Poe as he finished cleaning up his space. “Let's show Rey how we end our meetings: with style.”

 

Holdo laughed, and Finn leaned toward Rey, saying, “We're about to start singing X-Ambassadors’ song, ‘Renegades’. Just make sure you sing it right.”

 

Rey gave Finn an odd look before he explained, “When the song first came out, someone thought that a particular line was ‘Come close and engineer.’ Clearly it wasn't, but everyone here likes the addition.”

 

Rey didn't mind one bit once she understood. After watching all of them, as well as others outside the room, join in the song like a practiced team, Rey felt even more at home. 

 

It seemed they encouraged others to sing loudly and do air guitar while doing so.

 

\-------------

 

As it turned out, procurement engineering was fascinating to Rey. Under the careful eye of Kaydel, the girl with the buns, she got to help order parts to replace broken and obsolete parts in the plant. 

 

She used it as an excuse to go into the plant to look at the old part, as well as researching it, and then sometimes she got to use the code knowledge from Ben to order parts that were safety-related and had special requirements and tests. 

 

She even got to help when the materials finally came in and had to be inspected for nuclear-quality requirements. Then she took the records to the Library.

 

It seemed the Engineering Library contained a lot of old design documents from when the plant was built, as well as kept records of all safety-related parts used in the plant. Tracking materials was a big deal there, as was records retention for the life of the plant.

 

Her days were busy there, and she took several trips with Holdo. She found out over the course of the first month that Holdo had higher aspirations. She wanted to broaden her knowledge to outside engineering. 

 

“You should consider that as well, as it makes you more marketable and likely to be considered for a better job,” she told Rey one day. “Many people make a career out of staying in the same department, but there is plenty of mobility up and around in other departments if you want a challenge.”

 

Rey had met many of the other groups during her visits into the plant with Ben. Everyone knew Ben, and everyone else in his family for that matter. She liked discovering how each group depended on the others and worked together. Rey may have lost daily interactions with Ben, but Holdo was supportive and a source of joy for a superior.

 

\--------

 

Another source of joy for Rey was Leia. 

 

Seeing Leia every day made her think of Ben often.

 

She called Ben the first time three days after she moved, and just in time. Matt had already learned much and was just as hardworking as her, but his ability to grasp code and ask really hard questions unnerved Ben. 

 

Rey was his understanding sounding board throughout all of it, and he made sure to buy her lunch whenever she came into the plant for an inspection. He also occasionally helped her when she had a question about parts ordering.

 

When they did meet in person, he always asked the same thing at the end, in a serious tone.

 

“How do you like your new group?”

 

She always had very positive things to say and was honest with him.

 

“They have better food, and they break out into song at random intervals. It's never boring.”

 

Then, he always made some comment about her becoming complacent and soft, a challenging gleam in his eyes. 

 

“You've got it too easy there. You should be back here with me. I'll whip you back into shape.”

 

By the end of that, though, his eyes usually also betrayed something else, something soft and tender as he asked her without actually saying it to come back. That was what Rey lived for, and hoped that it meant that eventually they could consider dating, after they knew where she would end up.

 

“I'll show you whip into shape,” she would snark, and she would oflen flick a rubber band at him in response.

 

She didn't mind being in the design group at all. It was something else that they could tease one another about, in person and over the phone, adding to the simmering tension between them.

 

Leia was still her favorite mentor for multiple reasons.

 

They seemed to have free food at least once every two weeks, whether because her colleague Kaydel loved to bake (mostly for Poe), or because Leia believed that a well-fed workforce produced better work and had better morale. 

 

In addition, she could talk about Ben all she wanted with Leia, and Leia loved bragging about her son. The famous compilation of photos of a young Ben in green shirts did exist, along with many more fun family photos.

 

Every once in a while, Leia would ask more pointed questions about Rey's feelings towards Ben, and she did her best to answer truthfully but also noncommittally. She didn't want to give Leia hope since they seemed to be dancing around one another, their little touches their main source of tension and hope.

 

Leia often gave advice, much to Rey's benefit,drawing on all her years of experience. It was after one particular day explaining something to Finn, though, that Leia gave her the best advice, though.

 

Finn had been working on a calculation for piping for the auxiliary feedwater system, and he was confused about why it was a safety-related system.

 

“I thought auxiliary feedwater did not touch the fuel or reactor loop. So then why is it so important to safety?”

 

Poe and Leia both seemed ready to answer; however, Ben's words of explanation came running back to Rey as she attempted to explain first.

 

“You're right, Finn. The water in the reactor coolant system removes the heat from the fuel and slows down the neutrons in the core before it goes to the steam generator.”

 

“What does the steam generator have-"

 

“I'm getting there,” interrupted Rey with a smile before sitting closer to Finn. “Just like the reactor coolant system has multiple sources of water to keep the core cooled in case of an emergency, so does the steam generator secondary side that removes all the heat from the reactor coolant. That's where the auxiliary feedwater comes in.”

 

“It’s the main backup source of water for cooling the secondary side. And anything fulfilling a big safety function like that has special requirements, all outlined in a procedure,” continued Poe. “Does that make sense?”

 

When a satisfied Finn left with Poe, Leia stayed to chat with Rey.

 

“Did you learn all that from my son?” she asked with pride.

 

“Yes, I did. He helped me by showing physical examples and showing diagrams of how the systems work together. Then I studied it by myself. It's really cool.”

 

“Well, if you like and understand the systems so well, then you should consider another path outside engineering later on, when you've been here longer. You could become a senior reactor operator.”

 

When Rey continued to have a blank face, Leia expanded.

 

“It’s the guys in the dark green shirts. They work a lot of shift work, but they make a lot of money by understanding how systems work together. You might be a good fit. Want to meet a few operators and see their simulator one day?”

 

“Sure, what can it hurt?” agreed Rey. She had heard little of operators at that point, so she was eager to learn.

 

\------------

 

About two months into Rey's stint in procurement engineering, Poe and others started talking a lot about The Big Game.

 

As she found out, it was an annual event between plant and design engineering softball teams for bragging rights. She was all for joining design and playing against Ben.

 

On the day of the game, Rey was sitting at her computer, one that actually liked her, having come in early to prepare for the game.

 

Then, Holdo, Kaydel, and Poe approached her desk.

 

“Congrats, you should play the lottery today!” said Kaydel with enthusiasm and a forced smile.

 

Rey stared at them as though they had told her that she could lift rocks with her mind.

 

Pure, unquestionably crazy, the lot of them.

 

“I don't understand,” said Rey finally.

 

“What she's trying to say is that you've been chosen for a random drug test today,” said Holdo. “Head to the plant to be tested. You have an hour. You might as well stay there for today, seeking as you came in early and have to prepare for the game. We're counting on you.”

 

“I won't let you down,” said Rey as she got up to leave.

 

“And don't forget to say hi to my two favorite gals,” said Poe with a saucy grin, making Holdo roll her eyes and leave.

 

“Aren't you and Kaydel?” asked Rey hesitantly, looking between them.

 

The girl in question laughed. “Yes, we are, but these are gals, very different and not competing for Poe. He's being silly.”

 

“What? Everyone agrees they're girls. Plus, they're so powerful and strong. Did you know that those gals were designed to withstand a 737 plane ramming into them?” he asked in awe.

 

Poe Dameron was a civil and structural engineer who almost worked for a company designing planes. He loved flying in his free time, and anything having to do with planes in general. 

 

“I still don't know what you're talking about,” said Rey in confusion as she walked to the door with them. 

 

“When you walk up to the plant, look at the two containment buildings that stick out quite prominently,” said Poe with a smirk. “Then, tell me that you don't think those domed cylinders look like women's breasts sticking up proudly.”

 

The image of the two buildings came easily to Rey's mind after many walks with Ben. Then she saw it.

 

“Oh no! I don't want to think about that,” moaned Rey, covering her eyes. 

 

How could she look at them again, especially with Ben nearby?

 

“It can never be unseen!” said Poe with glee. “I told you. They're my gals. So strong. Now, have fun in the plant, and don't be late.”

 

“See you later tonight,” called out Kaydel as Rey walked away, still looking disgusted.

 

\---------

 

At the plant, the drug test went well, and Rey ended up spending a few hours with Han, who happened to have some odd jobs for her.

 

Toward the end of her day, she ventured upstairs to see Ben, excited about the upcoming game.

 

When she appeared in front of Ben's cube, she was surprised to discover that the empty cube across from Ben had been filled by Matt. He seemed to love it there, as he had way more stuff covering his walls and desk. 

 

When Ben noticed her, his eyes perused her leisurely as they usually did, a pleased smile covering his face.

 

“Rey, this is a pleasant surprise,” he said, getting up to shake her hand.

 

Matt barely looked up other than to say hello before going back to work.

 

He knew by now that he would be ignored until Rey left. She had that effect on Ben.

 

Matt's only consolation was that Rey had not advanced this far, and that Ben seemed satisfied with his work.

 

Rey shook hands with Ben, enjoying the small touch as she always did. It thrilled her every time, just as it did Ben.

 

“I got chosen for a random drug test today,” she said by way of explanation. “I figured I would visit before later tonight, for some pre-game banter.”

 

“Tonight?” asked Ben with blinking, wide-eyed confusion. “What are you talking about?”

 

He pulled back, and she gave him an odd look.

 

“The Big Game tonight. The Final Showdown between plant and design engineering, settled on an indoor softball area. That game?” she replied with a slight lift of an eyebrow.

 

“Oh, that,” he said dismissively.

 

“Don't discount me, Mr. Perfect Aim from Baseball,” hurried Rey in response. “I'm a mean hitter. I'll take you on tonight as well as in the outfield, and show you how capable I am of catching your balls.”

 

Suddenly, she realized her phrasing, and she bit her lip as pink color filled her cheeks. Her eyes watched him curiously, and she liked the results.

 

Ben also colored a little, but he recovered quickly. Once he understood her challenge, he took a conscious step toward her, no threat in his approach. 

 

There were only hungry, knowing eyes. Another line was crossed between them at last.

 

“I'm a good pitcher. Much as I'd like it if you touched my balls, I doubt you'll have the reflexes to do so.”

 

Alright, he went there. Why not?

 

Stepping closer to him, she retorted, “I'll touch every last one of them. I have complete faith in my abilities in handling you.”

 

“Then you should put your money where your mouth is,” he said smoothly, his right hand sliding along her arm in measured movements. 

 

Each extended touch burned another invisible mark on her, as he branded her as his. No one else would ever inspire so much heat or interest in her. 

 

“Name your prize,” she returned, her other arm reaching out to steady herself. “And then I'll tell you mine should I catch one of your balls.”

 

Ben looked all-too-pleased by this development. His face moved to fill her entire view, and she felt herself growing excited.

 

“The teams always go to Mos Eisley Cantina after the game. They have a jukebox and karaoke set up, where the winning team always sings a victory song. You sing by yourself if you strike out once, any song you want.”

 

That gave Rey pause. It wasn't that she sang horribly, but she didn't enjoy the idea of singing by herself.

 

“Fine. But if I catch one of your hits, then you have to do the same thing and sing by yourself. It's only fair,” she said. 

 

“You're on,” he said, seemingly unconcerned. “See you out there, Rey. I'm going to enjoy this.”

 

“So am I,” she replied, pulling away and heading back to Han. No doubt she had caused enough trouble as it was.

 

\---------

 

A few hours later, a large crowd gathered on the outdoor bleachers, as the day was unseasonably warm and dry. Rey recognized hardly anyone besides her coworkers, Luke, and the old janitor sitting next to him. The two seemed quite chummy, all things considered. 

 

Behind Luke were several other older men, as well as a short woman. They all seemed deep in discussion. Chewie, Han, and Leia all sat close by, along with Snoke.

 

Rey's team, The Resistance, elected to bat first, and as the other team, The First Order, took the field, there was a great deal of discussion between Ben and Phasma.

 

“Why is  _ he  _ here?” whispered Poe in surprise as he stared at Ben incredulously. 

 

“Because he is a part of plant engineering?” answered Rey, getting ready to bat with him.

 

“No, this is odd. He  _ never  _ plays. He says he is too good for us. What made him change his mind?”

 

Rey realized why Ben seemed confused earlier. It seemed everyone was baffled by his showing up.

 

“I have a running bet with him for this game,” replied Rey in a small voice. “I assumed he always played.”

 

Poe laughed and slapped his knee. “Of course you would. Well, it's time to see if he is in fact good. Let's see if Phasma lets him pitch. She loves pitching and having Hux catch.”

 

The game started with Ben relegated to the outfield. He glared at Phasma and everyone else, except Rey. In those moments, there was only heat and challenge.

 

Fourth in line, Rey got a base hit that was suspiciously close to becoming a home run, with two runners on base.

 

The ball sailed left toward Ben, who jumped to try to stop it from becoming a home run. However, it was just a little too high for him, and it went over the fence.

 

“Good job, Rey!” cheered Rose from her spot, until everyone on her team glared at her. Then she piped down until Finn got a double, and she couldn't help herself.

 

Rey gave Ben a triumphant grin after he came back from retrieving the ball. He gave her a death glare.

 

On Ben's first time at bat, he hit the ball away from Rey in the center outfield, getting a triple.

 

The game continued like that for three more innings until Ben got sick of Phasma and her poor pitching. Finally, he took the mound, a wild look in his eyes as he moved two fingers between his eyes and The Resistance. 

 

“Your reign ends now,” he said ominously. 

 

“That's my boy!” shouted Han proudly.

 

Leia shook her head. Ben rolled his eyes.

 

On Rey's first time to bat with him, she was beginning to worry. Everyone but Poe had struck out and not even touched a ball. Now, Ben turned his dark eyes on her, she the last hope before the teams switched sides of the field.

 

“You're going to owe me shortly,” he taunted. “Want to give up now?”

 

“Never,” she bit out. “Bring it on, lube man.”

 

Nothing could have been more calculated to make him angry, and she succeeded. What she didn't realize, however, was that he had been known for being an angry pitcher.

 

With a snarl and swift underhand throw, Ben sent the ball sailing past Rey’s swing into Hux’s glove.

 

The next ball followed the same pattern, and on the third one, she hit a foul ball. 

 

Their eyes locked again. She was confident that she was ready this time.

 

She struck out.

 

Ben's smug grin was enough to make her turn quickly and grab her glove with more force than necessary.

 

“You owe me,” he bragged in her ear as they passed on the field. “I can't wait to collect.”

 

It was the slightest passing touch as they moved, a finger brushing against her arm. All the same, it ignited something within Rey, her sense of competition and bloodlust now taking over.

 

She saw the smirk, and she purposefully licked her lips. His eyes followed the movement, drawn inexplicably. 

 

Then she turned and went back to her position in centerfield.

 

When Ben came to bat that time, she licked her lips again, and he missed the first ball entirely. He glared at her smug smile for that.

 

On his second try, he connected with the ball, sending it sailing toward Rey. She got in position, and she caught it.

 

Ben's joy died at once.

 

Rey told him as they passed, “Suck it up, fly boy. If I'm going down, then you're definitely going down in flames with me.”

 

Ben responded, “You're never going to get a hit on me. Accept it now.”

 

“Never,” she replied, getting in his face.

 

The rest of the game was tense and close. Rey struck out for the next two innings, until she finally got used to his speed and style. Then, she got a base hit. 

 

Ben eventually got a home run.

 

In the last two innings, Poe decided to change things up by having everyone but the pitcher and catcher switch positions. Because of it, Rey became first baseman, and she liked her odds.

 

The fact that she got to tag out Ben two times was immensely satisfying. What was better was the way he knocked her down onto him during their last encounter, she laying across him in an awkward position. 

 

Both of them were speechless after that, their minds too focused on how close they had been to one another, their faces and bodies.

 

It had felt  _ amazing. _

 

\-----------

 

The game ended with The Resistance winning just barely, as their early lead helped them stay ahead, and others eventually learned to hit Ben's pitches.

 

At Mos Eisley, everyone was rowdy. Everyone cheered for Finn and Rey, who helped get many scores for their team.

 

Rey scooted into the booth first, followed by Finn and Rose, and a few others. The other half of the large booth was left open for the opposing team, as was tradition.

 

The losing team always footed the bill and shared a booth with the winning team.

 

Ben continued breaking with tradition by coming to the cantina, and when he saw that Rey was on the edge of the group, a smirk and wink crossed his face briefly, just long enough for Rey to notice.

 

“Are you forcing  _ me, _ the carrier of this team, to sit next to the other team now?”

 

“Oh, shut up and sit next to Rey. You actually are better around her, and we all know it,” grumbled Phasma, who was still upset at having her pitching spot usurped by Ben.

 

Ben shrugged and situated himself next to Rey, his legs immediately rubbing against hers, followed by his right foot knocking against her left heel.

 

“Excuse me, Rebel Scum,” he intoned as he got comfortable, his eyes dancing with merriment. “You're in my seat.”

 

Rey rolled her eyes and hoped no one else heard what they were exchanging. They were both shameless, and all she wanted was for him to get closer.

 

“If you want it, sore loser, come sit here and make me leave. I dare you.”

 

The words had an acid tone to them, but her eyes belied the truth of the matter. They were warm and dark, inviting him closer. 

 

He was helpless to resist.

 

“Oh, I dare,” he said, getting closer and letting a hand linger on her thigh. Then he leaned in and whispered, “If I could flip you over again onto or under me, I would.”

 

Her breath caught as her lips parted. 

 

“Of course, next time, you'll be on my team, and I won't have to worry about beautiful women trying to distract me while batting or running,” he added.

 

Rey wasn't sure which part she liked more: the fact that he was so honest about wanting her in his group, or that he called her beautiful. 

 

“Keep talking like that, and I can't promise anything when I go up there and sing,” she whispered, finishing her first free drink.

 

“Don't,” he replied just as quietly. “Make it personal. I already am.”

 

It didn't take much for Rey to jump into that tire and roll with it.

 

Around them, the meal was raucous. Finn and Rose were enjoying being an actual couple, and Hux and Phasma were sulking. Poe was having a great time leading the conversation, and no one else really paid attention to the two in the center, as most avoided looking at Ben normally. 

 

The fact that he was being quiet and reasonable was enough to make people happy and let him be. Anything to not provoke him after losing.

 

When the food arrived, Rey and Ben stopped their conversation about Rey's recent car troubles. Ben had been insisting that she get a new car since her rust bucket was still dying despite all her attempts to fix it.

 

After a few enthusiastic bites, she looked back at Ben, who was staring at her with undisguised interest. 

 

“What is it? What'd I do?” she asked, worried. 

 

“Oh! No, it's nothing like that. I've just…. never seen you eat before. You always eat elsewhere,” replied Ben, turning to his food and taking a few, measured bites. “You're so excited to eat, and you seem to be enjoying the food a lot.”

 

“I love food. Always have,” said Rey as she took another mouthful. “I learned to appreciate food at a young age since it can disappear.”

 

Ben's face looked troubled for a moment.

 

“You'll never have to worry about a lack of food here with this job. You can even afford a new car because of how much you make now,” he said, bringing up his stubborn opinion again.

 

“Yes, I know I can, but it's the principle of the matter,” continued Rey. “I know I can fix it. I don't want to give up now, after all the years and time put in. It's not right.”

 

“But it's unsafe. What if your engine stops while driving? What would happen to you? What if you got hurt?” he asked, genuine concern etching his features. 

 

He had never brought up this aspect before, of how worried he was for her. It was odd to think about.

 

When she paused, he added, “I fix old cars, too, but they're not my main car. My engine is reliable. Is yours?”

 

“It's a replacement motor-"

 

“No doubt you found it or bought it cheap somewhere and refurbished it, right?” interrupted Ben.

 

“Of course!” she said indignantly. “It was my only option for so long.”

 

“It's not anymore. It's time to let the old things die. The engine, the transmission, the whole car. Let it all die. We can go out car shopping tomorrow together. I know all about the new cars and what to look for. It could be fun.”

 

Rey stared at him in disbelief and horror.

 

“Don't say that, Ben. You really want me to let my baby, my first car, die?”

 

“Yes,” he insisted. “For your own safety, and my peace of mind. Just think about it. I doubt there's much you can do for that engine to start it up, anyway.”

 

Rey grumbled under her breath and wished that she hadn't told him the whole history of her car, from her first finding it in high school.

 

“I may not be able to rev up that engine, but I can certainly do so to yours,” she muttered in an undertone.

 

Luckily or unluckily, Ben heard her.

 

As she came up from taking a bite of food, he spoke in a low, intimate tone, “You're right, Rey. Only you can turn me on like this.”

 

Her eyes blinked downward without meaning to, and she saw his hands near his tented pants. 

 

She ought to blush, but she was secretly glad. She had that power over him, and she loved it. She wanted to push him further.

 

“Are all the pistons running in high gear as we speak?” she commented lightly as she leaned back and against him, her hand landing on his leg now.

 

“All systems are running and need more fuel to run. Please provide it,” he quipped.

 

Three drinks in, Rey was on the verge of doing something that she might not have done usually, reaching lower.

 

However, unluckily for Ben, that was also the moment that Poe became his worst enemy by announcing that it was time to sing a victory song.

 

All of The Resistance got up and headed for the stage, Rey sending Ben bedroom eyes. Once they decided to sing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody", they all linked arms, and the other team rolled their eyes at the stereotypical song of choice.

 

The First Order always sang “We Will Rock You” and “We are the Champions” when they won, but that wasn't important.

 

Ben and the others watched as everyone on stage sang in various states of sobriety.

 

Poe was horribly offkey, and Finn was doing a mean air guitar. 

 

When it came time to headbang together, the team was remarkably in rhythm together, and even Rey got into it.

 

Ben loved watching Rey. She fascinated him endlessly. His eyes never left her while she was up there, from the uncertain way she started, to her general awareness that everyone was making a fool of themselves. 

 

Seeing them do that made her feel so empowered to slowly get into it, starting with singing, then headbanging, and finally doing her own impressions of air guitar while jumping up and down excitedly. It was adorable.

 

It only got better at the end when everyone else left the stage but her, and someone told the DJ to play a song for her. 

 

Then, she came up to the microphone, a smirk on her face.

 

She was like butter that night; she was on a roll.

 

“This song is dedicated to Ben, the sore loser who sat next to me all night and told me his dreams for next year when he thinks he will win. Good luck. You'll need me to do it,” she added with a saucy wink.

 

Everyone hooted and whistled for her while Ben shook his head. It was one way to drive all suspicion of their heady attraction out of the minds of others.

 

Then, she began a rousing edition of Pat Benatar’s “Shadows of the Night", and he forgot everything else as he watched her, enraptured.

 

Her low voice was perfect for it, and she stared at him for most of the song, even going so far as to hold out her hand to him when she sang that part in the song.

 

Never had he wanted to kiss her so badly as then. Now the only question he had was how fast could he get her out of there? He was sober, having stopped drinking a while back.

 

He just needed to sing, and then they could go.

 

When Rey finished, she left amid cheers and applause. Ben got up, declaring that he had to reclaim his honor and reputation. 

 

As the two passed, a look was shared between them. It was soulful and lascivious.

 

“My turn,” he growled, and she shivered in anticipation. 

 

She sat on the edge of the bench and faced him, away from prying eyes that might notice something in her tipsy state. 

 

Finn and Rose eyed her for a moment, enjoying the interplay and flirting between them. Hux was baffled by Ben wanting to expose himself to public ridicule by singing; something was up.

 

“Evening, everyone. It seems you just heard a scandalous falsehood about me from a woman, that I need her to win. I'm here to set the record straight; she's wrong. Obviously, I haven't done a very good job of scaring her yet. I plan to fix that now.”

 

Several people made noises of approval, and Rey rolled her eyes.

 

“As a result, this song’s for you, Rey. There's no one quite like you.”

 

He began singing the Scorpions’ “No One Like You", and it took everything within Rey to stay sitting down. 

 

She wanted to go to him, stand at the edge of the stage and drink all of him in. Every last, delicious word he sang in that low baritone, combined with the way he looked at and pointed at her, was enough. She wanted more. And getting closer could achieve that. 

 

She held on to her seat, though, not wanting anyone to think there was something happening between them.

 

When he finished, he seemed much less awkward in his movements, and less self-conscious. He had a swagger, and his earnest gaze was focused on her.

 

It was the way his head motioned toward the door that sent her mind running. She knew what she needed to do.

 

“Guys, I think I'm going to call it a night,” said Rey. “I've had enough alcohol, and I'm getting tired. Who wants to drive me home?”

 

“I will,” interrupted Ben before anyone else could say anything, putting a hand on her shoulder. “If it will keep you safe, then I'll happily do so. Plus, I wanted to go home anyway.”

 

A couple people gave him odd looks, especially Hux and Poe, but he waved their concerns off, as he was sober. 

 

Poe gave an odd look to Finn when the two left. He jerked a thumb at them and said, “What's the deal with them? Is something brewing there?”

 

“More than likely,” added Hux, surprising everyone. “This is all unusual for him. He has shown a preference for her at work, but I assumed it was because she was more reasonable.”

 

“They seem like an odd couple,” remarked Poe, very unconcerned. “We’ll have to watch them more carefully.”

 

Rey didn't even try to remove herself from Ben's grip until he had safely deposited her in his car, he promising to pick her up and drop her off at the cantina in the morning, after she got enough sleep. 

 

“I meant every word of that song,” said Ben as he started the car. “I want more. I don't know what exactly, but I want you.  We've both felt it for a while.”

 

Rey nodded before replying, “I'm just glad you said something. I was trying to think of a good way to break the ice, so I could tell you that I'm tired of dancing around you, Ben. I want you, too.”

 

They fell into a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive home. 

 

It wasn't until Rey pulled herself from staring at him that she realized that he had brought her to his home. It was huge and comfortable-looking on the outside.

 

“Why did you bring me to your home, Ben?” she asked seriously.

 

“I, uh,” he started nervously, realizing his mistake.

 

He wasn't doing himself any favors.

 

It didn't matter. His nerves made Rey relax against the seat. She smiled.

 

“You just want to keep me safe, huh? No safer place than your arms, I'm sure. Okay, I give,” she murmured, her voice growing distant.

 

Ben didn't know how to respond to that. His brain kept stopping at her surrendering herself to him, and everything short-circuited. Her words and actions were a virus, infecting him and taking over everything, filling him with thoughts of her.

 

Maybe, they could make this work…..

 

Then, she snored.

 

Ben realized that she had fallen asleep in his car. He hurried out of the car to bridal carry her into his home and bed before taking the sofa. He would not take advantage of her trust, so rarely given. 

 

One last touch was all he allowed himself before leaving her side. He undid her hair, always in the three buns, figuring that she slept better with loose hair.

 

Her hair was just as soft as he had imagined. He ran his fingers through all of it, flattening it against her and the pillow before tucking it in. 

 

She was safe, and his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is much madness afoot, and these two still can't catch a break in the romance department. If you smiled or laughed while reading this story, then I am satisfied. Thanks for reading!


	4. Mythology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which outage begins and is explained, and things get a little more serious, as Rey saves Ben from a terrible accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I don't own Star Wars, or anything else I reference. Thanks for sticking with this story! Mythology is the study of myths; I'm going to be using that loose definition here for the purposes of the story as it sets up what is coming. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks also to Davina, my beta!

When Ben woke up with slight neck pain the morning after the game, he wasn't all that concerned about it for once. Normally, he would wear a morose look the rest of the day, but knowing why he had it this time put him in a much better mood.

 

And yet, something nagged at him.

 

He pondered this situation as he created breakfast, waiting for his guest to wake up. He was so sure about Rey, and yet, to feel uneasy meant that something was missing. 

 

He  _ would  _ find a solution to this! 

 

\---------

 

Rey woke with a start, and was really confused why she woke up at her normal time, but not in her normal bed. Her hair was down; she never slept with her hair down.

 

The covers on the bed had been kicked every which way, but the distinct smell of Ben still filled her senses, making her realize what had happened. 

 

She made her way downstairs after spending as little time as needed wandering around his room examining everything, from his knick-knacks to his decor colors.

 

As soon as she smelled bacon on the stairs, she rushed downstairs, ready to devour all of it.

 

“Good morning!” she greeted as she walked in.

 

“You don't seem hungover; that's a good sign,” he stated before turning around with a small smile.

 

“I didn't drink that much last night. The drinks just made me more willing to speak my mind,” she said, giving him a significant look.

 

He brought the plates to the table.

 

“Then we have much to discuss this morning,” he replied. “I've been thinking about last night.”

 

“This sounds ominous,” said Rey with a small shake of her head before eating.

 

“No, it doesn't have to be. We're both interested in one another. We should do something about it. It's only logical,” he said, as though discussing a dry topic at work while consuming his food.

 

“Relationships aren't logical; they're messy and complicated,” commented Rey. “Ours already is, especially if you get your way and I join your group.”

 

“Yes, about that. I haven't thought that far ahead, to be honest,” he said in between bites. “We will just not tell anyone about it. I'm just thinking about the next couple weeks and months. Let's get to that point first.”

 

Rey shook her head, not liking the idea of hiding a relationship, but unsure if it would change what group she joined. She didn't want anything influencing that decision. 

 

Ben tried to stay in the present, but he tended to dwell on the past, focusing on it. The future was a nebulous thing for him that she didn't comprehend. 

 

She wanted to know her path going forward, to keep a routine. She had done a good job of leaving her past behind, unlike him. He just seemed content to wander somewhere, being led by others. He had plans, but nothing definite for when it would happen.

 

“What do you see happening going forward?” she asked, leaning her elbows on the table as she concentrated on him, her food done.

 

“I think we need to make a more concerted effort to get to know one another,” he said. “I still don't feel as though I know you well enough. I want to. I know I haven't been as open as I could be and ignored all the basic getting-to-know-you type stuff early on, depending on insider information from my father. I'm going to fix that.”

 

Rey wanted to smile at his no-nonsense approach to dealing with a relationship. He made it sound so simple.

 

“And how would we do that?” she probed further, knowing he didn't have a clue.

 

“How?” he asked, his voice rising in pitch momentarily. “However couples do it, I guess. I'm new to all of this. I only dated in high school twice, and not since.”

 

Suddenly, things made a little more sense. She made a noise of agreement, and seeing that they were both done with their meals, she picked up the plates. 

 

“Then let's start simple,” she said. “Wash or dry?”

 

“Dry, if I must do one. I always drop them when they're wet,” he replied, looking confused as he stepped over to the sink with her. 

 

When the dishes were done, after minimal conversation about family traditions involving dishes, the two grew silent again. 

 

He kept looking at her expectantly, and she was torn between slapping him upside the head for thinking this was an acceptable way to start dating, and being amused by his complete lack of experience. 

 

Instead, she went for what had been burning in her mind since he had first asked her about car parts.

 

“So what kind of car do you fix up? You've never shown it to me or told me about it. I'm curious.”

 

Something dawned in his eyes, and Rey was glad. He was fast to drag her into his garage, where he showed her his 1969 Shelby Mustang GT500.

 

Parts and debris littered the floor, but the car was immaculate. 

 

“All this time you've been hiding  _ this  _ from me?” she asked incredulously, before rushing up to get a better look at the car. “Yeah, we need to reconsider this relationship.”

 

He started to sputter out an apology when she came back to him and dragged him over to her side so she could begin asking questions.

 

From then on, the rest of that Saturday flew.

 

\---------

 

Ben had no idea how to just talk and hang out with someone. Going on a date was even more of a mystery. 

 

Hux and Phasma didn't help any by starting to ask him if he was pursuing her in order to convince her to join their group, or for other, more dastardly reasons. 

 

Thankfully, Rey was a practical woman who seemed content to talk to him throughout the day and away from them when she visited. Their nights were spent fixing his old car, talking about any and everything.

 

He hadn't realized how demanding relationships could be. She had dated some, which helped, and he quickly caught on that it was just a matter of making more time for Rey.

 

However, now that they were actively trying to get to know one another, he tried to pull back on the growing physical attraction they shared. He still hadn't kissed her, and now he wanted the first time to be special, just like it had been for his parents. 

 

It wasn't until he was sitting at his computer, ignoring his work and talking to Rey through the work messaging software, that he understood why people could be distracted at work. He wasn't getting as much done as he could, and he was actually alright with it. 

 

The bigger upside was that he was generally more pleasant to everyone around him, and it was easier to forgive others because he was guilty of doing something similar now.

 

After that, people weren't so afraid of him, and tried talking to him sometimes.

 

\---------

 

Rey had never been happier to start dating someone before, despite the teasing from Poe. She tried hard to imagine that she would end up in Holdo’s group, as she liked the group more. It also meant that there was no chance of her working with or for Ben.

 

The rest of her time in procurement engineering finished quickly, and then she joined Ackbar’s mechanical design group. She would be working on engineering changes, rather than calculations.

 

Ackbar and Poe had tried multiple times to explain why the endless paperwork was needed and what it did for engineering changes, but she still didn't get it after the first few days.

 

Rey often wondered what Poe and Ackbar spent so much time talking about when they had their meetings, and if it involved her of late.

 

She was also curious about what Leia discussed with her two supervisors during their weekly status meetings, alone. Were they discussing her future at all? The whole group's future? Or was it just something as simple as what food was being ordered for lunch?

 

Thankfully, after one such meeting, Leia visited Rey.

 

“I hear you don't like excessive paperwork. You chose the wrong job,” stated Leia as she sat down without asking.

 

“I just need to understand  _ why  _ there is so much paperwork,” said Rey, pleading with her eyes to help her understand. “I can go through the motions and do it, but it still doesn't make sense to me.”

 

“It's really quite simple,” began Leia. “We have tons of obsolete equipment that sometimes breaks. We're required to keep our plant as originally designed unless we go through a large rigmarole to ask permission from our regulator, which won't happen.”

 

“I got that much,” said Rey.

 

“When we don't have the same, matching equipment because it stopped being made twenty years ago, we find an equivalent or better part. Then, we wave our magic engineering wand, and prove that it is equivalent with lots of words. End of story. The forms are long and cumbersome to ensure it.”

 

“Well, that helps a little, but there shouldn't be fifteen pages needed to prove it,” grumbled Rey. “It's a waste of time.”

 

Leia agreed, and then prepared to leave.

 

“You'll be doing this until outage begins in a little over a month. Then, you'll be loaned out to other groups who need bodies, including Ben's group. Everyone has to help in some way during outage; get used to being loaned out if you don't have a specific outage job then.”

 

Rey's face lit up at the thought of working with Ben more and seeing him more frequently. 

 

Leia left after that, glad to have visual confirmation that the two were working things out among themselves. Han had implied that they were dating, based on an odd comment from Ben about having help with car repairs.

 

_ Nobody  _ helped Ben with his baby. He trusted people even less with his car than his work. He never talked about his car.

 

Leia was happy for both of them.

 

\----------

 

In the two weeks leading up to outage, Rey found herself calling Ben more often to complain about engineering changes, and how just a simple change in name meant losing hours of her life.

 

Ben kept telling her to come back.

 

At the same time, he also hinted that she should start mentally and physically preparing herself for outage. 

 

Outage was a big deal at the plant. It was the month-long slice of hell that many feared, because while the purpose of outage was to take the reactor out of service and refuel it, there were always other tests and work that needed to be done at the same time.

 

It was Ben’s busiest time; he spent almost the whole month performing exams that Hux scheduled him to do.

 

Everyone in design hated it because something always broke, and they had to do emergency paperwork to get some equipment replaced before outage ended.

 

And then, there were the stories, the myths and legends behind outage. How one should always wear and eat certain things before going into containment, and which people were legendary for the amount of time spent in one area at a given time. 

 

How much of it was true or a tall tale meant to scare new engineers was uncertain, but Rey wasn't taking any chances. She studied the mythology of outage by asking questions of everyone, determined to make it a good outage.

 

She purposefully scratched up her hard hat, and chose not to wear polyester, to make sure that the naturally-occurring radon in the ground (whether at the plant or in basements at home) didn't set off the radiation monitors. Radon was more likely to gather in plastics or man-made fabrics, and it always set off radiation monitors since it emitted alpha particle radiation. 

 

She even drank more water in hopes that she wouldn't faint while in the hot building, even though she had grown up in the desert.

 

All the other new people did similar things, scared by the stories they heard.

 

People like Matt were excited because he could work night shift and earn extra money working longer shifts.

 

Most didn't look forward to being called at all hours of the night, the moment something broke. 

 

Rey was cautiously excited. She liked the idea of being called in to find a solution. She was also on the same shift as Ben, and she was being loaned to his group.

 

The day before she left for her new outage job, Leia pulled her aside with a look of motherly concern that made Rey worry.

 

“Look out for Snoke. He says he cares about you, but he really only cares about getting things done faster and helping his favorites. I don't know what my son sees in him, but it's his own business.”

 

Whatever Rey had expected, it wasn't that. She had barely spoken to the Grim Reaper, and she didn't expect that to change. 

 

“I'll be careful.”

 

“Good. I don't want to see you get hurt out there. It's a big, new place for you. I know you'll be with Ben who knows it well, and that it's just a giant circle, but you can still get lost. I know I did my first time,” said Leia, giving Rey an assuring pat.

 

“I appreciate that. I have faith in Ben, though. He cares about my safety even more than I do,” Rey said with an air of certainty. 

 

“Because he cares a lot about you. Just watch the changing conditions in the plant. Use Artoo and Threepio if you must to check before going in.”

 

“Who are Artoo and Threepio?” asked Rey in surprise. 

 

“Not who, but what.  Did Ben  _ really _ not talk about one of the greatest and most helpful tools his grandfather created while an engineer? I'm shocked.”

 

Leia was more amused than shocked, which made Rey smile.

 

“Please tell me more about them,” encouraged Rey, grabbing paper and a pen.

 

“Oh, no, not there,” said Leia, pulling up Rey's computer. “Here. They're software.”

 

“That's why he doesn't talk about them; he hates computers,” huffed Rey. 

 

Leia rolled her eyes at her son's odd quirks.

 

“Well, Threepio actually refers to C3PO, or the Collected Plant Processes and Power Operations software. It shows you in real time what equipment is running, as well as the flow, pressure, or temperature of the various fluids going through everything. It's pretty nifty.”

 

Leia opened up the software, and since the sound was turned on, the software opened with, “Oh my! Welcome to the plant computer. I'm C3PO, your protocol guide.”

 

“It talks,” said Rey with a little trepidation. “Why?”

 

“Because my father loves making things complicated,” replied Leia, thinking of him.

 

“Is Artoo like this as well?” asked Rey.

 

“A little, yes, but without any talking. It's a very different application. Amilyn uses it frequently for reactor engineering. Artoo is actually R2D2, or the Retrievable Reactor Data and Database.”

 

“So it has lots of numbers and statistics about the reactor and its power level, I take it?” asked Rey.

 

“Pretty much. The two pieces of software work best together. They get called an old married couple for that reason, with Threepio the one more likely to break and annoy everyone. But, he has the most comprehensive data.”

 

Leia pulled back and let Rey try them out for a moment. 

 

“I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for showing me these two things. I may use them one day soon,” said Rey later, closing out her sessions of Artoo and Threepio. 

 

\--------

 

While there was much that people disliked about outage, there were certain benefits. 

 

Rey, especially, liked the idea of having a theme for every outage, something fun and unrelated that got updated every day to show that outage was almost done. 

 

The theme this time was “Space Invaders”, with space-inspired food names and options in the cafeteria, pictures of aliens plastered throughout the halls, and everything for the status of the plant based on a spaceship and its location in space as it traveled to and from a moon called Endor.

 

The cafeteria was also open all the time, which Rey loved. 

 

With the lift-off sequence commenced, outage began. That first morning, Rey was expected to go out into containment with Ben to find all of the piping that they had to examine for the next few weeks.

 

Ben sat her down and briefed her for the inspection for an even longer time than he did for normal jobs, but even that couldn't dampen Rey's enthusiasm. 

 

It was a new place to explore, and she wanted to see all the pieces of equipment that she heard such stories about. Ben was glad to have a partner during his longest day.

 

\---------

 

The two were preparing to put on their yellow banana suits when Luke popped inside the dress-out area. 

 

“There's my nephew, bravely forging in without any lighting to guide him besides his own. Few will go the extra mile like he will,” said Luke as an aside to Rey.

 

“It's the best way to see as-found data just in case something terrible ever did happen,” said Ben seriously.

 

“Here's a good one for your Ben,” said Luke as Ben rolled his eyes. “So an atom walks up to another atom and says, ‘I'm hit! I lost an electron!’ The second one says, ‘Are you sure?’ How does the first one reply?”

 

“That one is old and terrible,” grumbled Ben before walking away to grab something. 

 

“What  _ did _ the first atom say?” asked Rey, unaware of all the bad jokes Luke told Ben.

 

“I'm positive! Get it? The atom lost a negatively-charged particle while being hit, so now he's positive. Always a classic,” replied Luke, looking pleased with himself.

 

“Do you and Han both do that to him when you see him or something? No one else ever tells him jokes,” commented Rey.

 

“Yes, we do. He needs more humor in his life,” replied Luke, trying to recruit Rey over to their side.

 

“Good to know,” she replied, making a mental note to find more jokes.

 

Continuing on a more serious note, Luke said, “Stick close to him. He'll save your life. He knows the plant almost as well as I do.”

 

“I hear you're a little bit of a legend during outages,” replied Rey. “That you've entered every room and climbed every ladder in that building multiple times.”

 

“The legends are true. They still won't compare to the myth of Yoda, though,” said Luke with a secret smile.

 

“Yoda? He was an engineering director at one point, right?”

 

“He was, and he even went higher. He did everything; he worked in every group at least a month in order to understand them before he became plant manager,” said Luke in awe. “He was my first mentor, and is still a great friend.”

 

“He's still around?” she asked in surprise. 

 

“Oh yes. He likes to keep an eye on his plant. He was one of the original members who worked here, coming here out of high school. He dedicated his life to this place.”

 

Luke considered his two mentors, Ben “Obi-Wan” Kenobi and Yoda. Both had different paths at the plant, but both had shared the title of engineering director at one point along the way. He hoped his nephew would take after them, just as much as he would his grandfather. 

 

“He sounds amazing. I'd like to meet him one day,” said Rey. “It'd be cool to meet another living legend.”

 

“He's not the only myth around here,” said Luke cryptically. “Just ask my nephew sometime about his degree. It's all a joke, a big myth, to my sister. Ben defends it despite her insinuations otherwise.”

 

“In what way?” asked Rey curiously. “Because everything is so small and theoretical?”

 

Leia was similar to Rey in that both of them preferred to work in applications of theory, rather than researching theory all the time. That was why Rey had liked mechanical engineering; it had many real-world applications. 

 

“No, nothing like that. It's just hard for her to take a field seriously when its units include made-up ones like dollars, cents, shakes, and barns,” said Luke, watching for Rey's reaction.

 

“What? No, those aren't real,” said Rey, laughing at the thought of something being measured in barns.

 

“Tell that to Ben,” said Luke as Ben approached. 

 

“Tell me what? Rey, don't listen to him. He's crazy,” said Ben half-seriously. 

 

“If I am, then so are you,  _ nephew. _ We're family, and therefore crazy together. Plus, we got the same degree. Have fun in there, Rey,” called out Luke as he left to assist others.

 

Ben gave her an accusatory look until she asked him, “Barns aren't a real unit, are they?”

 

Ben raised his eyes to heaven and begged for mercy on his uncle. Good thing he left.

 

“They're real, and I'll explain while we walk,” he tersely responded. 

 

\------------

 

Rey thought that seeing Ben in the bright green polo shirt was funny and delicious. 

 

Seeing him in the humongous, yellow suit was even better since he was so tall. Everything had to be bigger to fit his tall frame, so the suit seemed extra baggy in odd places. 

 

With his gloriously long locks contained in a man bun to protect it from contamination, and the yellow hood swallowing up his face, it almost seemed like the banana was trying to swallow him instead.

 

Altogether, it made Ben a very wrinkly, annoyed banana.

 

Rey's suit was almost as baggy, and it was also itchy. She desperately wanted to scratch her nose, but the rules said she could not once she put on her gloves.

 

It was  _ torture. _

 

At least she had used the bathroom before putting on the suit. It took so long to undress that she feared for anyone who suddenly had to go.

 

The two made jokes about the other's suit until they got to the entrance of containment, the building that housed all of the largest, most safety-significant pieces of equipment in the plant. That building was the third layer of protection against a nuclear accident, and it was ruggedly-built consequently, just as Poe had mentioned before.

 

Ben led the way into containment, and they had to stop multiple times in order to let Rey absorb her surroundings.

 

The dark, cavernous building had many platforms and sets of ladders and stairs. Here, there was no brightly-colored paint on the walls. There was only old concrete and the hum of many large pumps and fans running.

 

All of the walkways were set up in a circle of sorts around the outer edge of the containment building, with different paths that led up, down, and around, in order to access certain pieces of equipment and rooms built in. 

 

“That's the reactor vessel, containing all those hundreds of fuel rods of uranium that Holdo watches with her life.  All of the magic happens in there,” Ben explained.

 

“As well as all the magical-yet-real units like barns and dollars?” asked Rey in disbelief. 

 

Ben sighed before motioning her toward a handrail where they could watch work being done.

 

“Remember when I told you how the delayed neutrons are what allow us to control the fission reactions in the reactor?”

 

She nodded. 

 

“The goal is to have each individual neutron cause one fission, so that we can stay at a steady state to generate electricity. But, the amount of fissions caused can change based on different factors, so dollars and cents are used to measure how easy it is to go from a steady-state to rapid power growth.”

 

“I think I'm following,” replied Rey when he finished. “The bigger the dollar amount, then the easier it is to cause a big fission reaction?”

 

“Yes. Do you want to hear about barns now, too?”

 

“Might as well,” she said, ready to learn. 

 

They were higher up in the building, so they had a great view. She was excited to come back in once the missile barrier was removed, to see inside the reactor.

 

“Barns are just a measure of area, a very tiny area. The larger a barn, the more likely a neutron will interact in a certain way with atoms. That is why we slow down the neutrons in water. The neutrons are more likely to cause a fission for our uranium fuel if the neutrons are going slower.”

 

“But why is that?” asked Rey.

 

“Think of it like this,” he stated, putting his hands out in front of him.

 

“My left hand is a beautiful woman named Rey. My right hand is me. If I want to impress her, how will I best do it? By driving by in my mustang really fast so she can't check out my car and myself, or by driving slowly, so she can see everything?”

 

His right hand slid past his left one quickly then slowly. Then, he wiggled an eyebrow and looked at her for an answer.

 

“Slowly, of course,” said Rey with a giggle.

 

“Exactly. You need to see the whole picture, see all that is there, and you can't until I slow down. Same thing for the neutrons and uranium. The slower they go, the greater the chance of them causing fission.”

 

Their travels continued after that, and Rey got to see all the large, mythical pieces of equipment, whether the steam generators that were taller than three stories, or the reactor coolant pumps that pumped thousands of gallons per minute of water through the vessel.

 

By the end of the day, Ben found all that he needed, and Rey had seen most of containment. 

 

She was utterly smelly and and drenched in sweat when she left containment, but it was worth it. She also made it through the radiation monitors with her hard hat, thanks to all the scuffing up she did to it.

 

\------------

 

A week later, their ship had finally landed on Endor and was in the process of being refueled. Old fuel was taken out, some of the remaining fuel was rotated to a new position, and new fuel was placed inside the reactor. 

 

The aliens changed form into teddy bears, and there were opportunities for all plant workers to try a special food in honor of making it to refueling, the bread of the future, along with a drink in a faux-metallic tin. 

 

The first week was also the first time that Rey visited the Outage Command Center, jokingly called the Out of Control Center. The scaffolding to perform a job wasn't done on time, and he needed to tell the people there of the update.

 

Right before going in the first time, she happened to mention it to the short janitor that Luke somehow knew.

 

He warned her to beware of the dark side of schedule compliance.

 

“Enforced schedule compliance is a path to the dark side of organizational effectiveness, young Rey. Such devotion to schedule leads to micromanaging. Micromanagement leads to endless phone calls. Endless phone calls lead to work not actually getting done, or else not well, thus making work take longer to redo or finish. Don't give in to the pressure of the OCC and the dark side of the schedule.”

 

Rey blinked before saying, “Right. And people might rush to finish something and do it unsafely in the process.”

 

“Precisely,” he said. “You are learning well from young Solo.”

 

She didn't have time to ask him further what he meant as Ben appeared then, giving the janitor a slight nod of acknowledgement. He smiled and went on his way to clean more messes.

 

She barely made it into the command center before Ben was done communicating and wanting to leave. 

 

It was a little of a letdown for her, but at least she was safe from the dark side for now.

 

\----------

 

Two weeks into the outage was Valentine's Day. For that special day, candy hearts were passed out at every building's entrance. 

 

Ben had made big plans for that night: a romantic homemade meal, a joyride in the Mustang, and their first kiss while inside it. 

 

It was the stuff of dreams, and he had spent many hours picking out a meal and everything that went with it.

 

That day at least, his two exams went longer than usual, and Rey did all she could to help. 

 

He was on edge as he finished the second exam, as someone was performing work above him on a scaffold. 

 

He had told the people above to tie down everything so that he could safely work, so he tried to keep an eye on things as he worked.

 

However, as was often the case for him, he got caught up in his work, and when he heard Rey scream, he was confused why. 

 

In the next moment, he felt himself being tackled by Rey to the floor, and they both barely escaped as a large hammer came flying down right where he had been. He banged his elbow on the concrete as he tried to catch himself, and he was pretty sure that his back was going to be screaming in pain when he got up. 

 

“Are you alright?” panted Rey as she checked out his elbow. 

 

“It will be fine. I just want to finish this quickly and go,” he replied, not making any effort to move.

 

Relieved, Rey rested her hard hat against his suit, trying to catch her breath.

 

Ben couldn't believe that he, someone who prided himself on safety, had almost been seriously injured.

 

It wasn't the nuclear safety aspect that made him worry at work. It was the industrial safety part that left him uneasy, as it did now.

 

Finally, Rey looked up.

 

“Thank goodness I saw that in time. I can't imagine if I had just lost you.”

 

“And you say I am over-dramatic,” muttered Ben.

 

“You  _ are  _ over-dramatic. Everything is grand with you. Nothing ordinary.”

 

“What's wrong with that?” he asked indignantly, trying to get up.

 

However, in the process of getting up, Rey had leaned in and let go of him. She started to tumble off his side, and he rolled onto his side in order to catch her.

 

She grabbed onto his shoulders, and when she jerked her head forward, it smashed up against his, their lips touching.

 

For that one, brief moment, everything was right in the world. 

 

Ben knew why he had waited; it was to have that moment of magic, of connection.

 

Too bad they couldn't continue their connection, seeing as touching was impossible in two layers of gloves.

 

And he didn't even want to think about the uncomfortable, sweaty suits they wore that had no easy way out of them. Now  _ that  _ would have been a strip show.

 

Most of all, he  _ really _ didn't want to think about the repercussions of touching and kissing Rey when they weren't even allowed to touch their own faces, let alone do it in an area where no food or drink was allowed to be consumed, for fear of swallowing contamination. 

 

As he pulled away from her slightly, he saw the excitement in her eyes. He decided to he strong and resist.

 

“Ben,” she whispered. 

 

Well, there went that resistance. 

 

She might as well have been a siren, the way her voice called to him. 

 

Soon, she was crawling on top of him all over again, ignoring the rules and kissing him with abandon because he was safe.

 

For several long moments, both basked in the joy, and then they heard footsteps, forcing them to move apart. 

 

“I guess it's a good thing we're all naturally radioactive,” said Ben to himself, trying to make himself feel better. It was better than imagining all the contamination they could have shared in touching one another. He hoped no one else had seen him flagrantly ignore the rules.

 

Never. Again.

 

“We are?” she asked in surprise as she got up.

 

Thus distracted by her question, the lust filling his body calmed down. 

 

“Yeah, there's radioactive potassium in the bananas we eat, as well as in our bodies. Our bones can be carbon-dated because of the radioactive carbon in them,” he said, getting back to his exam and finishing it up quickly.

 

Rey smiled at his efficiency, and then dealt with the guy who had caused the dropped object. He was rushing toward them after coming down the long way. 

 

By the time that all was figured out, Ben's exam was done as well. 

 

There would be much discussion because of the incident, and the two would deal with it together. First they made it out of containment without an issue, and Ben didn't care after that.

 

Mitaka heard their story - minus the kissing-  and wrote it up so that it could be shared with everyone else. Then he sent them both home to enjoy a moment of quiet before the questions came.

 

Right as they were leaving, Mitaka also said, “Also, it looks like we have a through-wall leak near a valve, just found an hour ago. You two may be called on to test it when it is finished being repaired.”

 

Both took it in stride, and changed. When Ben got back, he had an email from Snoke, summoning him to see his boss the next day.

 

It was a little reassuring that Snoke wanted to talk to him about his near-death experience. They hadn't been talking much in the last few months.

 

It wasn't until they were almost to his car when he realized that he wouldn't be able to kiss her like he had planned, which made him a little sad.

 

“What's wrong, Ben? We're both alive, and we finally kissed after all that tension building up. I thought that was the best kiss ever,” said Rey with a jab to his side.

 

“It was mine, too,” he confessed. “I had just wanted it to be somewhere where we could explore one another more.”

 

“There will be time for that later,” replied Rey with a knowing grin. “I'm actually kind of glad that it happened at work. After hearing about all the adventures you apparently had with that lube in the dark, I'm glad we could share one like that. Lube fantasy answered, and on Valentine's Day.”

 

He rolled his eyes.

 

“Remind me to hide your dinner when you arrive,” he teased, provoking an annoyed look from her. “I'm going to give you a proper dessert tonight instead. I just need green food dye to make it happen.”

 

Rey laughed and kissed him as they parted for their cars. Soon, they'd have a nice meal after a long, hot shower. 

 

Ben would swear that he heard Rey whistling to Imagine Dragons’ song “Radioactive” as she walked away. A good choice, one he approved of heartily after their conversation. 

 

Now he just needed to find a fun jello dessert recipe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This chapter was definitely one that stretched the definition of mythology, but I hope you learned something out of it.


	5. Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we learn much of Snoke, and of Ben's backstory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I don't own Star Wars, or anything else I reference. This is about as close as this story gets to drama. Thanks to Davina for beta reading this, and I hope you enjoy reading it!

Rey and Ben had both agreed that they would exchange chocolate for Valentine's Day, and nothing else. Neither one really wanted to do more at that point since they were working ten hour shifts and tired all the time. 

 

Nothing about the beginning of the day had gone as Rey had anticipated, and she expected it to remain that way for the short night with Ben, just as she suspected Ben had resigned himself to. They had gotten off late after talking to Mitaka, and Ben usually went to bed early to get enough sleep on work nights.

 

She dressed casually as he had requested - much to her relief - and left her hair down since he seemed to like it that way. 

 

When he opened the door, he had a black wool sweater on, and he seemed comfortable. 

At least until he moved his elbow. Then he winced. 

 

“How's your elbow? Have you been putting ice on it?” she asked with concern, looking at the wound she gave him.

 

“Hello to you, too,” he said with a grin. “Come on in, and yes, I have.”

 

She pursed her lips and thought for a moment before saying, “Then I'll just have to give you a massage later. It's only fair since I caused the injury.”

 

He grinned before sliding a hand around her back, leaning in to steal a kiss on her cheek.

 

“I think I could be convinced.”

 

“You'll be more than convinced when I'm through with you,” commented Rey as Ben led her to the kitchen.

 

Rey was very familiar with the layout of Ben's kitchen at this point.  He enjoyed cooking more than she did and she loved eating everything he tried to make as well as cleaning up, so it seemed only natural.

 

He had been to her place several times, but since his kitchen was better stocked, they always ate at his place.

 

Dinner was a quiet affair of grilled steak and potatoes, the focus of the conversation telling bad stories from previous incidents on Valentine's Day. 

 

Ben surprised her with two desserts at the end. The original one had been a chocolate cake in the shape of a heart, the frosting on top in the shape of their initials. 

 

That alone would have endeared Rey to her boyfriend, once they figured out Rey’s position and told others.

 

The second dessert, however, was what made her laugh and smile warmly. It was a lime green concoction that wouldn't seem romantic to anyone but her. 

 

Two large beer glasses were set up with a hefty portion of green jello inside each, diced pieces of fruit floating inside. On top was a cherry and homemade whipped cream that Rey promptly got all over her face as she attempted to devour all of it, in addition to pilfering parts of Ben's portion.

 

Ben enjoyed helping her clean up. 

 

“Best Valentine's Day ever,” said Rey seriously as she got up to wash and dry all the dishes, waving at him to sit down. “You've set the bar high.”

 

“I told you that I like grand, big things. Go big, or go home. Be extra in all you do, and all that jazz. It's a family trait,” replied Ben flippantly.

 

“Clearly. I just don't know how you'll be able to top this next year,” said Rey as she set about cleaning.

 

“I'll figure something out,” he insisted as he watched her from behind. 

 

The unspoken question was whether they would still be together in a year's time. 

 

Rey was too used to people coming and going in her life, but what she had with him felt different. Much more permanent. 

 

She wasn't sure if it was the fact that they saw each other so much for work, or that they shared so much in common, but this one felt special. Either way, she liked him a lot, and hoped that he would stay and not grow tired of her as every other guy in the past had.

 

For his part, Ben was used to people seeing some small hint of who he really was, and then running away because they couldn't handle him. 

 

Rey had never rejected him, though. Even now, as she learned of his deep aversion to dishes and other odd quirks, she seemed to celebrate and enjoy them in a way no one else had.

 

He had always felt alone growing up and at work; it didn't feel like that anymore. Change was happening around and in him, for better or worse. 

 

Rey was never far away, and since she had come crashing into his life, others had followed, slowly tearing down the invisible walls.

 

For once, he was willing to let them stay down. Rey was worth it.

 

When she finished with the dishes, she forced him to remove his sweater and lie on his stomach atop his couch so that she could give him a proper massage.

 

It was originally going to be her way of thanking him for the great meal, but now she needed to see with her own eyes that he was alright and not just telling her stuff to make her feel better.

 

“Ben, you have to calm down,” she reminded him again as the cold air made him tense. 

 

“I'm trying,” he huffed. “I'm just cold.”

 

“Then I'll warm you up,” she replied. 

 

She climbed onto his back and nuzzled light kisses across his neck and cheek, all while checking his facial expressions as she touched his elbow and upper back.

 

He became a boneless heap as soon as she began, and even the slight twinge of pain in his elbow became nothing.

 

“I'm surprised you're this touchy-feely,” he began once she was satisfied and climbed off.

 

“I got injured in college and had to see a chiropractor. She helped me get used to being touched, and made it clear that others like the same type of thing,” Rey answered with a shrug.

 

Truth be told, she was starved for touch (and attention for that matter) as a child. It had felt odd for the chiropractor to touch her at first, but she quickly learned to love it and wanted more. 

 

She had always been puzzled at to  why that need didn't extend to other boyfriends in the past, but she suspected it had to do with trust.

 

She had trusted Ben almost since day one. It showed in how fast she had fallen for him and how she always encouraged even the smallest attention from him. 

 

“I do like it,” he said. “If you keep that up, I'm going to fall asleep right here. I'm already pretty relaxed.”

 

Once he revealed that, she dragged him upstairs to his bed so that she could finish there. It was a good thing she did, as he dropped off within twenty minutes of her starting. Definitely no extended exploring that night. 

 

She ruffled his hair before pulling the covers over him, as she liked to do each night before she left. It was intimate and comforting, and the thought of doing this regularly didn't scare her like it had with previous boyfriends.

 

\----------

 

By the time that Ben made it into work (still on time, of course), it seemed everyone had heard about his “brush with death”. 

 

Multiple people asked him if he was taking up any new hobbies, and others asked if his elbow was any better after being injured by Rey.

 

When he saw Rey, she was also swarmed by people, which made him feel a little relieved; it was that many less people bothering him when all he wanted to do was get work done. 

 

When Rey noticed him, however, she sent him a pleading look that he correctly interpreted as her wanting to escape.

 

He helped, as only he could.

 

“Rey! What's this data point mean?” he bellowed, making everyone near him look up and let Rey through.

 

“It means that I owe you,” she whispered as she pretended to look down at a datasheet. 

 

“You better believe it. I want another massage, preferably soon,” he admitted.

 

“Done. I hope you're feeling better after yesterday. Anything else?”

 

Her concerned look put him in an even better mood. No one ever worried like that about him besides his parents. His coworkers’ interest would die out quickly, and then they'd go back to avoiding him.

 

“Much better. I have to talk to Snoke today about yesterday. He didn't ask to see you, so would you mind standing out in the wings in case he changes his mind?” he asked.

 

“Of course. Grab me when you're ready,” she said before heading back to her temporary, finally empty, cubicle. 

 

\-------

 

An hour later, the two journeyed down to the Outage Command Center. 

 

Snoke was on duty that day, overseeing all engineering tasks in the field, while Leia took the night shift.

 

Ben went in, and Rey stayed outside, content to watch the various work groups pass through the hallway. Even Rose, who was technically assigned to Ben, passed by as she was being loaned to systems engineering.

 

“Hey! We should meet up sometime since we're both on dayshift!” said Rose excitedly. “I haven't seen you in a while!”

 

“This weekend?” suggested Rey. 

 

“Sure! If it's early enough, Finn might drop by,” said Rose before she followed her group to perform an inspection of the valve and bad weld from the day before.

 

Rey didn't stand there by herself for very long, as an older man accosted her. With his graying shoulder-length hair, mustache, and beard, he appeared much older, but his warm eyes and kind face helped put her at ease. 

 

He seemed familiar, as though she had seen him around other older men. Maybe the softball game?

 

“I don't believe we've met,” he said, putting out a hand. “You must be new, as I've met almost everyone here over time.”

 

“I'm Rey, a rotational engineer. Is it that obvious that I'm new?” she asked, trying to figure out what of her jeans and t-shirt gave her away.

 

“You're just young, and standing so patiently outside this door. That's not normal. Everyone knows to just barge in,” he explained. “When I was your age, everyone knew I had entered because of how I slammed the door.”

 

She had entered the Command Center twice with Ben, and both times, it had been a quiet room. No doubt loud slams caused some commotion.

 

“So you've been here a while?” she asked, looking for his name on his security badge.

 

“Many years, yes, but I was consulting with other plants the last ten years. I've been sharing my experiences from here with others through several big initiatives in the nuclear industry.”

 

Rey nodded and encouraged him to continue.

 

“Now, I've come back, or will be officially after the outage.  I'll be ready to lead the plant and get them used to all the changes that I've helped set up at other plants.”

 

“So there are a lot of changes coming in the future?” she asked curiously, remembering all the whispered conversations happening between Leia and her supervisors.

 

“Yes. However, the future is always uncertain; we must remember to keep our concentration here and now, where it belongs,” he said before stopping a moment. “I'm trying to get a feel for the plant as it is, right now. How do you like it here?” 

 

His tone seemed casual, like it wasn't important, but if he was going to be leading people, then that definitely wasn't the case.

 

“Be honest,” he prompted. “I'm curious to know what new eyes see here. Anything you like a lot?”

 

“Oh! The people have been fantastic,” she responded, able to answer that easily. “They've been very knowledgeable and friendly. I really like the environment in design; they seem close-knit and love new people.”

 

“But?” he said, noticing her reluctance to continue. 

 

“I like what I did in the programs group, but the group dynamic wasn't the same. And there's also this…. Divide between them and design. I don't understand why they seem to hate one another so much. We need one another’s help often enough,” she finished, hoping it made sense.

 

“We do, indeed,” he said with a cryptic grin. “It's all interconnected, whether we accept it or not.”

 

He paused a moment and then continued, “But, I think you'll find in time that the culture can change. It just needs the right people to bridge the gap, to show that not everyone is like the stereotype, right?”

 

“Yes, of course. There's so much more we could do together, rather than apart,” replied Rey, liking him already.

 

“Exactly. Remember: your focus determines your reality. If you want to see the change, then you must be the change. Eventually others will follow.” 

 

He checked his watch and grimaced slightly.

 

“It seems I'm running late for a meeting. I do apologize for having to cut this short, but you've given me much food for thought. Thank you for your honesty.”

 

With that, he rushed down a hallway, his loose, white clothes flying behind him. Rey couldn't help but wonder who he was since his name on his badge had been hidden; she would have to ask Ben.

 

She stayed out there for another twenty minutes before Ben finally came out, looking a little pale. He didn't want to talk about it, however, so she let him be and got distracted by other things beside the older gentleman.

 

\---------

 

While Rey had been talking, Ben had a very different conversation with Snoke.

 

Snoke had always been curt and to the point before. He didn't waste words, and he was always thinking ahead to the future.

 

“Have you heard about the through-wall leak at the valve?” queried Snoke instead of greeting Ben.

 

“Yes, Mitaka mentioned it. What does that have to do with me?”

 

“We are replacing the valve and piping. You'll be needed to go out and inspect the valve after it is welded in. I trust that you'll find that all the work is done right.”

 

“As long as the tests say so, then yes,” said Ben. “Anything else?”

 

He had expected something about his injury. Everyone had been talking about it, and Mitaka had insisted he take it easy that day, no doubt because of Snoke.

 

“There is a failure investigation team meeting right now to find out why this happened. I suspect you'll be pulled into it. I hope that when the time comes, you'll be able to provide the right guidance about expanding the scope of this investigation. Based on our rules, it isn't necessary.”

 

“Not necessary? What are you talking about?” thundered Ben.

 

“Calm yourself, my apprentice. Surely you understand what necessitates a thorough look at every valve similar to this one. This valve doesn't fully meet the requirements.”

 

Ben had looked into the problem briefly, but he knew enough. This was definitely a time to expand the scope of their investigation and ensure no other valve had a through-wall leak on its adjacent piping, especially on a valve within the reactor coolant system.

 

“It may not fully meet the requirements, but it's close enough. We're supposed to make conservative, safe choices in order to protect the safety of others. How is limiting the scope the right thing to do?”

 

“Kylo, Kylo, Kylo,” tutted Snoke. “Haven't I taught you better?”

 

“Clearly not. Please enlighten me,” snapped Ben, growing more cross.

 

“There's a reason why I told you to learn the rules and code first and best. It's the only way to know when you can bend them to your needs. And you do need to know that if you plan to be a supervisor one day.  People will listen to you because of who you are.”

 

Ben found himself wanting to leave, to scream, and a great many other things. 

 

This was so unlike Snoke, his mentor in everything. He had been the one who understood his need to break from the past and his family's legacy. He had been the one who encouraged him to learn the rules he liked so much, so that he was always right and doing the right thing.

 

Where was this coming from? Was this truly the reason why Snoke had told him to do all that he had? Was he using him and his name,  just as his family had always maintained? 

 

From a safety perspective, this decision wasn't to be borne. There were other valves just like that one that could experience thermal wear after many years sitting there.

 

What if it caused a major leak while running the plant? What if it couldn't be stopped in time?

 

His conscience wouldn't allow it. 

 

He was on the verge of saying just that when Snoke continued on, heedless of Ben's thoughts.

 

“As it is, your odds of becoming supervisor are getting better by the day. You've shown tremendous growth since those new rotational engineers came on board, especially that one girl. Kira, or something.”

 

“You mean Rey, right? The one who worked with me first?” clarified Ben, becoming even more annoyed.

 

“Yes, her. A nobody that your father found while recruiting. She caught on quite quickly, and you've done a great job of using her to your advantage,” said Snoke, looking proud of Ben.

 

“How have I taken advantage of her?” asked Ben in fear, his voice dropping.

 

“First you showed that you can restrain yourself and your temper on that elevator. You've wanted to prove yourself reasonable like that for some time. That was perfect, as everyone finally sees that you aren't just some child throwing a temper tantrum every time something bad happens.”

 

That was a sore spot between them, Ben's temper. Snoke kept telling him to use it judiciously,  to channel his anger, but apparently every time Ben tried, he did it wrong.

 

Ben was about to interrupt when Snoke went on.

 

“Then, in those first few months, you showed how willing you were to look out for the needs of the plant by agreeing to teach first her, and then everyone else. It was a brilliant move on your part.”

 

Ben felt that he needed to stop Snoke at that point, because there had been nothing calculated about any of those decisions. He had done it for Rey, pure and simple. Or because he knew he had to get over his irrational fear and accept change.

 

If this was how Snoke and others saw him, though, this was why no one had rushed to offer him a higher position of late, despite all of Snoke's grooming the past nine years.

 

“The final piece that finally sent you over the edge was yesterday, though. I don't know how you managed to get her to agree to that wild story, but now that you've both proven yourselves to care about plant priorities, you'll be rewarded  _ generously. _ ”

 

“How?” asked Ben, his eyes narrowing. “And what does this mean for Rey?”

 

He was afraid to ask what would happen to Rey. Snoke was ruthless, and obviously didn't care what happened to Rey. She could have been hurt or tortured in the process of helping Ben, and Snoke wouldn't have cared.

 

The big problem at hand was that he knew, deep down, that Rey liked the design side more. She loved the sense of belonging, just like he thought she would. Just doing his work wasn't enough when she loved doing the procurement work just as much.

 

“A number of others outside engineering are seriously considering you now. You've shown that you can be patient and talk to others of late. People actually seem to fear you less right now, for better or worse. If you can at least get them to talk to you, then that's all that really matters. They will trust you with others at that point.”

 

“But what about Rey?” insisted Ben.

 

Matt thrived in and loved his group. He was a better fit, and Ben knew it. All the same, he selfishly wanted Rey close by. The problem was that he couldn't bring himself to let her wither away in his group. She would be miserable, and he would blame himself. 

 

“I will use my considerable influence to ensure that she is put in your group, where she will be groomed by you to take over your position. I have it on good authority that an opening is coming soon,” replied Snoke, looking as excited as he could. “She needs to be trained as soon as possible, which is why I had her assigned to you for this outage.”

 

Things suddenly made more sense. Snoke assumed a lot, mostly because they had not talked much since Rey arrived.

 

“You haven't asked my opinion about all of this,” said Ben carefully.

 

“Why do I need to? I've been talking with Mitaka and Hux, who both agree that you prefer her. You should be thanking me right now,” said Snoke magnanimously.

 

“I wish I could,” said Ben. “However, because you didn't fully consider my feelings, I ask you to reconsider this plan for two reasons.”

 

“Which are?” asked Snoke darkly.

 

“First, Matt is a better fit for our group, and loves my job and understands the intricacies far more than Rey does. Second, did it ever occur to you that I prefer her because I'm attracted to her?”

 

Snoke sputtered a moment before finding words.

 

“Are you telling me that you opened yourself to all those possibilities and did all those things I just mentioned, not because you wanted to please me and get ahead, but for a pair of pretty eyes?” shouted Snoke furiously. 

 

“Pretty much,” said Ben. “She's different. I've never felt a connection to another person the way I do with her. And I'm not about to doom her to a position and group that will make her miserable and have her despise me. I won't be the cause of her misery, just to get ahead. I'll wait if I must.”

 

“Get out of my sight. I can't believe I wasted my time and vision on you,” said Snoke.

 

“You were just using me anyway,” said Ben. “Using my name to make you look good. And now, you want me to put production ahead of the safety of the plant and public? I'd never do that. I was going to ask for them to expand the scope, but now I'm going to insist on it. I'll personally help if I must.”

 

“Leave me,” ground out Snoke. “Now.”

 

“I'm not done yet,” insisted Ben. “I have one more thing to get off my chest: if you honestly think that the plant is safer and better off not expanding the scope of this investigation, then you need to seriously consider your position at this plant. You're not worthy to hold the position of director if you put money first over our safety.”

 

“Are you done now?” asked Snoke, his voice a little softer and more chastened. 

 

“Yes. I know they were asking you to resign or retire soon, and based on this conversation, I think you should leave now. I don't want your short-term influence to hurt the long-term safety of the plant and others.”

 

Ben stormed out of the room, upset with himself and determined to fix this.

 

Rey did her best to not ask questions, but he knew he was being especially tight-lipped that day. Everything he thought he knew had been turned upside down.

 

He had always heard that Snoke used others to get ahead, but to see him say and do such things, and to Rey, couldn't be allowed to happen. He wouldn't endanger her or his plant.

 

Some, especially his mother, claimed that Snoke only thought of himself and money. Now he knew the truth; his mother was right.

 

\---------

 

Within a day, Ben did all he could to fix his mistakes and change what Snoke had started. He joined Rose and a special team to inspect every valve with similar characteristics. 

 

He asked Rey to go back to design engineering, and asked Matt to come off night shift and join him on days. Rey was confused but agreed, and Matt was overjoyed.

 

\---------

 

By the time the weekend rolled around, Rey was officially very confused. 

 

Ben had pulled away from her, and still hadn't talked to her about Snoke.  Not only that, but a wall had been erected between them, one of Ben's making. He was barely talking to her, period. 

 

“Rey, come on in and relax,” said Rose at the entrance to her apartment. “Finn will be here in a few minutes before he goes to work. I hope you don't mind.”

 

“No, of course not,” said Rey, her mind elsewhere. 

 

Rose saw it and was worried about Rey. She seemed far away and listless.

 

Once Finn arrived, they made her tell them the truth.

 

“What happened, Rey? Something's not right,” said Rose.

 

“Yeah, you can tell us. We're here for you,” confided Finn. If you want us to beat up Ben, we will.”

 

Rey broke down in tears after that, prompting both of them to come forward and hold her close.

 

“I don't understand. What did I do wrong? Where did we go wrong?” sobbed Rey. “One minute, we were happy, even when injured. Then, he spoke to Snoke, and now he doesn't want me close. I don't get it.”

 

“If you'd like, Rey, I have a taser. We can go visit him, and you can get revenge on him by tasing him if you want,” soothed Rose.

 

Rey's eyes widened, as did Finn’s before they all pulled apart.

 

“Wait, what? Look, I know he messed up, but do we  _ have  _ to go full Darcy on him and tase him right away? Maybe he has a good reason,” said Finn in defense of Ben. “I know he can be a jerk, but he really likes you, Rey. I can tell. He wouldn't do it for no reason.”

 

“I thought he liked me, too, but then why isn't he talking to me at all? Now I'm just avoiding him to hold onto my sanity. I don't want to live like this,” said Rey, having gotten used to his constant presence in her life.

 

“Have you two done anything else that might make him pause and reconsider his feelings toward you?” asked Finn. “He does love the rules.”

 

Rey gasped, thinking of their kiss in containment.

 

“I hope it's not that,” whispered Rey.

 

Finn nodded before heading out. “It just might be. I think he needs to come to grips with this relationship with you. Give him a couple weeks. If he still hasn't said or done anything, then tell him that you need to talk or just break up with him.”

 

“Thanks for listening and helping.” 

 

“Anytime. That's what friends are for,” said both Finn and Rose.

 

After that, Finn left, and Rose found her collection of ice cream and alcohol.

 

“Alright, let's forget all about Ben. Let's have fun with a girls night. Who needs men?”

 

“Right!”  agreed Rey enthusiastically. 

 

The two girls drank and watched some of Rose’s favorite animes. Rey enjoyed every second of it.

 

She privately decided after watching most of Ouran High School Host Club that Ben was some weird cross of Tamaki Suoh and Kyoya Ootori, a super sensitive dark prince who claimed to need no one, but who really did and had a huge heart.

 

She also decided that she needed to get Ben a pair of glasses. All men looked better in glasses. He could pull off the megane look while sitting and reading, his coupling gel close by.

 

It wasn't until both were several drinks in that Rose asked, “So, how far have you gone with Ben?”

 

“Not very,” said Rey honestly. “We keep getting close to doing more than kiss and run our hands through one another's hair, but something always stops us from going further. It's like the universe is purposely stopping us or something.”

 

“The universe is stupid. You two are  _ adorable  _ together,” admitted Rose. “If you two just banged already, I bet he would be even more relaxed than he already is. Compared to how he was when I first met him eight months ago, he's so much better now. You've been a great influence on him.”

 

“Thanks,” sniffed Rey. “Honestly, I hope I don't end up in his group when all this is done. Maybe he is trying to make sure that Matt gets chosen over me by sending me away now? I haven't really thought of a better reason. I just don't think a kiss at work would bother him that much.”

 

“A kiss? No. If he does care that much, then who knows? He just needs to learn to talk and deal with people already!” griped Rose.

 

Later that night, after more alcohol was drunk and she was stuck awake on Rose’s sofa, Rey sent him a text. She knew he would be asleep, so she didn't feel bad about sending it.

 

She said, “Thanks for grabbing Matt. I hope they do choose him over me. Also, you can talk to me anytime you want. I don't need a big explanation; I just need you.”

 

Sure she wanted an explanation, but at that point, she missed him. He would explain at some point.

 

\---------

 

As it so happened, Ben was asleep when she sent it. However, when he awoke, he realized just how much of a silent jerk he had been toward Rey recently.

 

As his gut twisted, he couldn't help but wonder why she was telling him her true feelings about his group in this way.

 

Probably because she had been planning to see friends this weekend. He had no idea, though. He had gone from talking throughout the day to her to once a day, very briefly.

 

She must hate him, or be drunk. Considering that she hadn't broken up with him, he took that as hope that it wasn't the former. 

 

He didn't respond to her text, but he did think long and hard about his future. He owed it to her to get his life figured out.

 

By the end of that day, he responded back with, “I always knew your heart wasn't into it like Matt was. I kept hoping anyway. I'm going to be busy for the next few weeks. Sorry to disappear more. I'll explain later.”

 

When Rey got that message, she was a little shocked that she had actually sent the message to him. She was greatly relieved to know that he would explain everything. 

 

\------------

 

Three weeks into the outage, and the message of the outage had changed again, this time to “To infinity and beyond, to a galaxy far, far away". All the teddy bears disappeared, and now pictures of droids and robots appeared as they worked hard to fix the spaceship.

 

The focus of the plant was on all of the final checks and tests that had to be done before the reactor was ready to come back online. The work groups left containment, the extension of scope for the bad weld turning up no new conditions, thankfully. 

 

At the beginning of the fourth week, the message of outage changed to “Welcome home!”. 

 

Holdo was now on night shift, overseeing the slow but steady raising of reactor power to ensure that no procedures or rules were broken, and that the fuel just put in was behaving right and not going to cause a meltdown.

 

Rey was hard at work on some emergent engineering changes, and she only called Ben when she had a problem with something.

 

Their relationship had cooled by choice, as she was willing to wait until he was ready to explain. She just didn't think it would take that long.

 

Finally, the outage ended, and things went back to normal, until the next outage. 

 

Several more weeks passed with no word from Ben, and Rey was starting to get truly worried about him.

 

\---------

 

Before she could bring it up with him, though, she had quarterly training that all engineers were required to take. 

 

By the time she came in, with ten minutes to spare, only one seat remained, the one next to a dour-looking Ben.

 

The moment he saw her, though, his face softened, and a pleading look entered his eyes. 

 

She had told herself that she wasn't going to forgive him on the spot for his behavior, but it was hard to follow through with that when he looked at her like that.

 

She sat down next to him, and he seemed pleased by that.

 

Behind them, several people in Ben's group sighed in relief. He had been eerily calm since she disappeared halfway into the outage, but it was a tight leash. They all feared him going off the deep end with the right flick of a switch. It just wasn't like him to be so calm without Rey around.

 

He didn't try to talk or touch her; he just seemed to absorb her presence and gradually became more at ease, while she became more tense.

 

It wasn't until lunchtime that he suddenly turned to her.

 

“We need to talk, either now or after work. Your choice. I…. have a lot to explain.”

 

“You better believe it,” she agreed as she grabbed her lunch. “Let's start now.”

 

They were barely out the back door, headed to a picnic table, when Ben stopped them both and pinned her against the building.

 

“I've had this insatiable urge to do this ever since I saw you this morning. I'm not going to deny it any longer,” he said, his voice low but firm, his hands cupping her cheek.

 

She saw the dark, hungry look in his eyes, and she knew immediately what he wanted. 

 

“If you think-"

 

She wasn't able to finish as he was past thinking at that point. He had heard and understood a grand total of nothing in that morning session of training, and he still hadn't touched Rey or made up with her. 

 

He intended to remedy both those things so that he could survive the rest of the day.

 

He kissed her then, roughly grabbing her and pouring every ounce of his recent frustrations and need into it.

 

Their kisses had always been chaste, whether on the cheek, neck, or lips, with a closed mouth. This kiss was completely different. 

 

Now, he showed her exactly how she had made him feel at the cantina. He had been living in the present in that moment, and he intended to continue down that track, rather than focusing on the past and all the hurt that went with it. 

 

At that point, he had done his soul-searching, and he knew what he wanted. Now he just needed to convince Rey to give him another chance.

 

He slammed his opened lips onto hers, finally tasting her. He awkwardly slid his tongue in and explored her mouth while she bit his tongue and lips in an attempt to calm him down.

 

After a few minutes of fruitless movements, Rey gave in to what she desperately wanted. She returned his kisses and slid her hands down his back, enjoying the feel of him underneath her again as he shivered.

 

They didn't stop until a door opened. Even at that, he just moved his body to hide her from any wandering eyes, his hands remaining on either side of her to hold her in place.

 

When the person continued on to the parking lot, he returned his full attention to her. She seemed a little more clear-headed now.

 

“Let me start by saying I'm sorry. You didn't deserve all this, but since it involves you, I wanted to fix it before I told you. You shouldn't have to clean up my messes,” he said apologetically. 

 

“I'd rather know about it and work with you, though. When are you going to get that through your thick skull?” she asked in annoyance, pulling away from his arms. “Let me make my own choices with you, rather than be forced to do so independently later. Don't compound the problem.”

 

He stared at her a moment, taking that into consideration before nodding.

 

“I understand. I'll explain first and act later. It's going to take some getting used to-"

 

“If you want this to work, then you don't have a choice,” she insisted. “If we're a couple, then we're a team. We're going to talk things out and make decisions together. I don't want the ability to make decisions taken from me.”

 

Too many times the foster care system had done that to her, discussing her future in front of her without her being allowed to have a say. She always felt weakest, most useless, then.

 

He agreed and looked at the time. Seeing that they had only ten minutes to eat, they ate quickly and agreed to talk after training.

 

\--------

 

An hour after training ended, Ben drove over to Rey's home, armed with groceries.

 

She let him in, albeit reluctantly, but it was a start. 

 

As he started to cut up some vegetables, he decided to jump right in.

 

“Rey, have I ever told you about the complicated relationship I have with my parents and Snoke?”

 

“No, you've never elaborated. Why?”

 

“Because all of this involves Snoke, but it started because of my family.”

 

After that, he explained the lonely childhood he had growing up, and the wounds it left him with. How his parents never seemed to care about him and worried more about their jobs. 

 

That translated into him being an awkward, quiet child growing up with few friends and no social skills. He found he was gifted with math, though, just like his mother, uncle, and grandparents before him. 

 

Seeing as he had a strained relationship with his mom, he focused on his uncle and went into the same degree program as his uncle. 

 

The problem came, though, that Luke was just as busy, and then tried to get him to come intern at the plant, just like his mom had.

 

Feeling thus betrayed, he interned everywhere but there, and he learned to look up to his grandfather, a great if divisive man.

 

“However, as I told you before,” he said, “I tried all these places, but none of them felt like a good fit for me. It was all the theory or applications I could want, but the feel of it wasn't the same. I finally interned at the plant after my senior year, before I finished my master's.”

 

“And everything made sense,” she replied.

 

“Yes. Somehow it did. I know now that my family understood that and so pushed me that way. Still, I think I needed that time away to fully appreciate all that this place has.”

 

“I get that. When did you meet Snoke?”

 

“I met him while interning. He was a supervisor then, on the rise. He was encouraging and gave lots of advice without pushing me to come back. I thought he understood me.”

 

“He didn't?” asked Rey in confusion. 

 

“I only found that out recently. Anyway, after meeting him, I finished my master's degree and came to the plant. My family was overjoyed, but I still was mad at them. Snoke had me join his group, away from my family.”

 

“That was good, I guess,” said Rey begrudgingly. 

 

“It was. I proved that I wasn't just a spoiled legacy child. I thought Snoke didn't care about my family, and that he wanted to follow the rules as much as I did.”

 

“What happened between then and now?” she asked.

 

“I discovered that plant life is long and hard. I forgave my family for not spending as much time with me as I wanted. My relationship with them now is much better than it was when I started here.”

 

“What about Snoke?” she asked hesitantly. 

 

“He helped me establish myself in the programs group. He told me all of his theories about leadership and getting ahead, and when I expressed interest in having his job, he was happy.”

 

Ben's mouth scrunched in on itself as his reflections and hindsight showed him what had really been happening. 

 

“He immediately began praising me and telling me that I was doing the right thing, that my grandfather would be proud. Then, about six years ago, it turned into wouldn't I also like to follow in my grandfather's footsteps, just as my mom had? Wouldn't it be great to serve and lead the right way, rather than how my mother wastefully spent?”

 

Rey eyed him in shock.

 

“It was bad, I know. I always knew Snoke was a cheapskate, but I thought it was because he wanted to save the plant money. Not to make himself look good or because he only cared about production.”

 

“I'm sorry,” she said, putting a hand out to him. 

 

He held her hand a moment, enjoying the warmth and comfort she offered. It filled him with a sense of peace that he hadn't felt in weeks.

 

Just that simple touch did more to heal the wounds of the past than anything else up to that point. It was all too easy to dwell on the sins of the past, and be afraid of the future. 

 

The problem with that, though, was that the past didn't have Rey in it. Only the present did, and the future might. He had to change his perspective if he wanted to hold on to her.

 

Everyone seemed to see an unconscious change in him once Rey entered his life. He hadn't thought about it until Snoke had mentioned it. 

 

Now, he had analyzed it and done his best to hold onto that mindset, as it was the only way that he could grow. He would have to be able to work with people if he wanted to manage them, and he needed compassion. Somehow he had learned it.

 

They continued in silence until the timer went off for the food to be ready. They ate and continued their discussion. 

 

“Three years ago, I went to the necessary training to become a supervisor,” began Ben. “I did well in the class, as had been expected. It just wasn't for the reasons anyone expected.”

 

“What do you mean?” asked Rey, taking a bite of pasta.

 

“I had ideas and vision from Snoke, but that wasn't what the trainers saw as my best trait. It was my tendency to stand back and think, to notice others around me. I've always been sensitive,” he tried to explain.

 

“So despite being impatient with them, you still managed to make it work?” she asked in confusion.

 

“In a way, yes. They said that if I ever wanted to be a good leader, then I'd have to learn compassion and patience. Until then, they said I shouldn't.”

 

He further explained, “I was good at reading the crowd and their feelings, and my heart was in the right place. However, I just jumped in and insisted on a course of action without explaining myself. I always set people off that way because I interrupted others and insisted I was right, citing rules and whatnot.”

 

“So you became a pompous know-it-all who scorned others because they all rejected you and your ideas?” asked Rey.

 

“Essentially. No one believed in me except my family and Snoke. No one wanted to be near me because I was hard to get along with, and I started to not care and preferred Snoke's path of just being feared.”

 

“Is that why people still call you Kylo Ren?” 

 

“Yes, but not anymore,” he said with finality. “That persona is dead, along with any allegiance I had to Snoke.”

 

“What changed everything?”

 

Ben was about to say love when he caught himself. 

 

He hadn't considered his feelings that closely up until that point, but he knew it was more than a crush. It was one conscious act after another, and a desire for her overall good, to make her happy and to be her pillar of support whenever she needed him.

 

If he felt compassion for others, then it was because he had experienced it from her first, and then learned it himself, first giving it to her, then others. And if compassion was unconditional love, then he felt it in large measure for her.

 

“You, Rey. You were the missing piece. I didn't think I needed others until you showed me otherwise. You cared about me in a way no one had. I learned to have compassion through you.”

 

Rey took in a large gulp of air before motioning for him to continue. 

 

“I'm used to being rejected, and having no one fight for me. You did. I knew why no one wanted to promote me, and I was fine with that after we had our scare with a broken turbine. I didn't want to need anyone, but when we started talking on that elevator, everything changed.”

 

“Was I really the first person to feel comfortable around you in a small space?” she asked.

 

“Yes,” he said, taking her hand again. “You proved you were more than just talk. You cared. I loosened up by degrees after that, and everyone seems to have noticed but me.”

 

Both laughed at that.

 

“Snoke knew I preferred working with you over Matt because he talked to Mitaka and Hux,” continued Ben. “He pushed to have you work with me for the outage because he thought I was using you to get ahead.”

 

The words tasted like acid in his throat, and Rey could tell in the way he spit them out.

 

“As if I would use you. I just wanted to pull you into a corner and kiss you until I could think straight again.”

 

Rey giggled.

 

“I'm pretty sure we both felt that way then.”

 

At that point, they were both done with their food, so Rey got up and took care of the dishes. He stood close, putting his arms around her waist as he continued talking. 

 

Rey let him, having missed their closeness for too long.

 

“I assumed for a long time in my selfishness that the only way I could have you was if you worked in my group, preferably with me.”

 

Rey turned her head slightly and gave him a disapproving look.

 

“Hey, I learned my lesson. I'm good now,” he interjected. “After hearing the way you loved design, I knew you preferred it there. In some ways, I was jealous of you. You got to work for my mother. I'll never be allowed to do that.”

 

“She's managed to create quite the family atmosphere in design,” started Rey.

 

“Yes, because work became her family,” he said gloomily. “One day, when I have a family, I won't treat my children like that.”

 

“Of course not,” she soothed as she finished drying the dishes.

 

“Anyways, I thought it was odd that you were assigned to me for the outage, even though I told Mitaka that Matt was the better choice. I preferred you, and he must have read between the lines.”

 

He sighed, wishing he could change things. “It wasn't until right before the outage, as we started talking more, that I realized that we had a good thing going with talking regularly. Suddenly it wasn't absolutely necessary to work with you. I also didn't want you to be miserable working beside me.”

 

“So when Snoke asked to see you, what did he say?”

 

“He said that he planned to exert his considerable power to have you be placed in my group, and assumed that I was using you to get ahead, as well as lie to make me look better after the hammer fell.”

 

“He didn't,” scolded Rey.

 

“Worse, he thought it was all faked. He never asked me how I was feeling. Never occurred to him, I bet. First was all the nonsense with the bad weld. In that moment, I realized that he only wanted to know the rules so that he could bend them to his choosing, thereby making him look good and seem to value production, but sacrificing the safety of the plant. I was furious.”

 

“But there's more?” she hesitated to ask. 

 

“He mentioned that people were talking about me again, that I could be a supervisor. He implied that I was acting childishly no longer, and had a shot because of who I was. Then he started talking about you being forced to join my group, and I lost it and left, making sure he knew that I was disappointed in him regarding his attitude toward safety.”

 

“So after all this time, he just wanted you for your name and wasn't pushing that hard for you? He waited until it was convenient?” she demanded, her voice growing more agitated on his behalf.

 

“Yes. He betrayed my trust. He wasn't what I thought he was, and I had to come to grips with it before I could explain it to you. I needed to figure out what I actually wanted in this job outside of him, and how I want to accomplish it. I'm taking it in steps.”

 

“I'm glad you've given it some thought,” she said, even as she wished that he had said a little more along the way.

 

“I've made it clear to everyone in plant engineering that they are to no longer call me Kylo Ren. I explained to Mitaka that Matt was the better choice, and that I preferred him as my replacement, without mentioning our relationship.”

 

She sighed in relief.

 

“That's good.”

 

“Snoke knows that I am attracted to you, but I doubt he will do anything regarding you now, unless it is to spite me.”

 

Rey gave him an exasperated look.

 

“Look, you have to decide what you want here. You can't depend on others to make the decision. You have to chase after what you want, no matter what,” he stated, getting up. “But in the meantime, I'm going to head out. You need time to process all of this. I'll wait for you, Rey, but don't expect me to be as patient. I'm not good at waiting like you are.”

 

“Then it's time for you to practice,” she said. “If you're going to be the man you want to be, it's time to learn patience. I have to figure out what I want from us now. I didn't realize how serious this was to you until today.”

 

His intensity didn't scare her. She just hadn't given much thought to how deep her feelings ran. He deserved someone who felt similarly. 

 

Her conscience reminded her of how she had felt when he had almost been hit by a dropped object. In that moment, she had thought the world would end. Then there was all the angst she had felt since that time. Perhaps she did feel as strongly.

 

He nodded in understanding before giving her a quick kiss.

 

“Do you want me to contact you more?” he asked. “Or keep as is?”

 

She didn't hesitate when she answered, “More. I've missed you. Just don't expect us to hang out as much.”

 

It would have to be enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was probably a little more description than was probably needed, so I hope it was worth it and made sense. Thanks for reading!


	6. Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey makes many big decisions, Ben has a family meal, and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I still don't own Star Wars or anything else I reference. It's time to find some resolution for Rey now that Ben has his act together for the most part. Onwards! Thanks as always to Davina, my beta. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

“But, Poe, don't you think that we should go to the auxiliary building and double-check that this structural support is still like this? What if it's missing a part?”

 

Poe’s exasperated voice filled the air.

 

“We just inspected it last year, Rey-"

 

“And it was worked on during the outage! Anything could have happened to it then. We should do it, just to be safe,” she urged.

 

Poe sighed with a rueful smile and nodded, making her face light up. Then, he perked up and leaned against a desk, a new light shining in his eyes.

 

“You're going to become the main technical conscience of this group if you keep talking like that.”

 

“I'm okay with that. We should question these kinds of things more often,” she replied.

 

Poe snapped, a new spring in his step.

 

“Yep, that seals it. I agree with Rose and Finn now,” said Poe with more good humor. 

 

Rey's face scrunched up in confusion.

 

“I'm sorry, but what-"

 

He interrupted, “You and Ben. You're definitely soulmates, just like Han suggested. I thought he and the others were crazy. Now I'm convinced.”

 

Her face became red as she tried to deny it.

 

_ “That _ is patently-”

 

“True. No one else would happily volunteer themselves for every technical conscience question there is like it's perfectly normal to take on so much extra responsibility, and no one else questions everyone's work habits like he does. You're perfect for one another.”

 

“I don't think you understand,” she started, as Kaydel and Matt entered the room.

 

“Oh, but I do!” cried Poe, dragging the other two into the conversation. “Matt, do you know anyone else who likes going out into the plant to check something as much Ben and Rey do?”

 

“Nope. I don't even care for it myself. I'd rather save myself from getting injured in the plant and not receive as much dose,” replied Matt. “You should've seen those two preparing to go into the plant together during outage.”

 

“What'd they look like?” asked Kaydel curiously. 

 

Poe looked on with a grin as Rey thought of the two weeks they spent together. It had been bliss.

 

“Ben would sit there looking lost and anxious until Rey arrived. He had all the equipment and info ready, but he never left until she arrived. Then, they would see one another, and they would feed off of one another's excitement, all smiles before going into containment. It was really bad after he sent her back here,” said Matt, repeating what he remembered clearly. 

 

“That's because he knew you didn't enjoy it like he did,” retorted Rey self-righteously. “He loves going in there. It becomes a chore when you have to drag someone unwillingly with you.”

 

Matt seemed unperturbed by that, and Poe and Kaydel raised an eyebrow at her.

 

“He was so grumpy once I started helping him during outage,” said Matt, not caring that Rey gave him a dark glare. “He was always looking around when we went left for the plant.”

 

“That's because he was looking out for dropped objects,” said Rey evenly, trying to deny everything still.

 

“Outside?” questioned Matt with disbelief. “He was looking for you.”

 

Something inside Rey's stomach twisted in on itself and made her feel sad and uncomfortable. 

 

Part of it was knowing that he had been just as upset and lonely as she had been when he asked her to go. Part of it was knowing she had been just like that in the office, looking for him everywhere and every day.

 

Rey remained silent, so Poe decided to finish off the argument.

 

“Connix, didn't Ben and Rey flirt outrageously with one another at the cantina?”

 

Rey flushed and opened her mouth to speak, but not before Kaydel did.

 

“Yes, they were. I thought it odd. But it seems they have a history of staring intensely at one another a lot. She definitely distracted him at least once during our big softball game.”

 

Rey tried to stop the conversation, but to no avail.

 

“Just because we both stare a lot does not mean-"

 

“ _ Everyone  _ agrees that he acted odd at the game and afterward, even Hux,” interrupted Poe again with self-assurance. “And you have been more quiet since coming back, not asking to go into the plant for two weeks. That's not like you; it's like having eggs, bacon, spam, sausage, and spam without the spam. It's just not done.”

 

“It's okay to admit that you like him,” said Kaydel, coming up to Rey and patting her arm. “We won't hate you or anything. We all see how well you work together and seem similar.”

 

“And no one is going to hold that against you when choosing your future group,” said Poe, getting to the heart of the matter. 

 

Rey's eyes blinked rapidly up at Poe, all pretense gone. There was only the confused jumble of feelings she had for Ben, as well as the knowledge of how much he cared, as shown by Matt.

 

“You're not the first one to do this,” comforted Kaydel. “It happened to Poe and me last year when he came in, and we still made it work.”

 

“Only because she is amazing,” added Poe with a wink.

 

“The point is that love doesn't care about timing or anything. It just happens. If you like him, then go for it. It'll all work out in the end.”

 

Rey gulped and then got up, needing a moment alone. They let her go.

 

“Do you think they'll get together now? Leia really wants them to and hopes this will fix it, especially if Matt is right about him being miserable,” said Kaydel.

 

“According to Hux, he's gotten worse since last week's training,” said Matt. “Still calm and helping people, but he's on edge. How long does he normally last?”

 

“Not this long. He's getting better, I think,” said an impressed Kaydel.

 

“I hope he stays like that. If Rey is so similar, then she'll be just as stubborn as him,”  said Poe, getting up. 

 

\-------

 

A few days later, Rey said goodbye to all her friends - Leia insisted she call them her second family - in design engineering and headed back to the plant.

 

To Ben.

 

That was all that was really going through Rey's mind at that point, seeing Ben. 

 

Since last week, there had been little doubt in Rey's mind that Ben cared for her. She had wondered previously if he had just forgotten about her, or gotten complacent in their relationship. 

 

The truth was harder to swallow, as he had been as upset as she was. 

 

Everything in her wanted to stop the daily texts and turn it into the full-blown relationship they both wanted. Hearing that Poe and Kaydel had had similar struggles had given her much hope. 

 

What she didn't know at that point was how much she felt for Ben. 

 

She liked him, but he deserved more than that. His feelings were deeper. Was she ready for something serious? Did she go after this, despite what it might do to her career?

 

As she entered the plant, she went to visit Han, certain that he would lift her spirits before she saw Ben.

 

When she got there, she heard Ben's voice.

 

All at once, a sense of giddy excitement filled her, and she burst into the room, uncaring if she interrupted a private family moment. 

 

When she saw him, all the tension that had been building inside her for the past week escaped. 

 

She knew then that she had forgiven him completely. 

 

There was nothing more that she wanted in that moment than to see his dark looks, hear his low voice, and touch that skin she loved.

 

Breathlessly, she whispered, “Ben.”

 

Both men turned, and the man in question saw Rey's beaming face. Their eyes met, and he felt more alive than he had in a week.

 

Unconsciously he started moving toward her, and she mirrored his actions, until they swallowed up all the distance between them, save a few, important inches.

 

Their hands lifted up at almost the same time, seeking out that small bit of touch that had been denied since last meeting.

 

In that moment, Rey knew that what she felt for him easily matched his. There was no other way to explain the joy and peace that filled her.

 

She moved to close the remaining distance between their hands, and when their hands touched, both held their breath. 

 

For a moment, it was quiet. 

 

Then, she said, “I've missed you, Ben.”

 

“Not as much as I've missed you,” he replied, relief flooding him.

 

She was about to say more when she realized that they were being watched by an awestruck Han. His all-too-interested gaze and open mouth made that clear, and reminded her that she still needed to figure out what to do about Ben and her career.

 

Ben looked behind himself when he noticed Rey's distracted, worried face. When he saw his father's face, he groaned and grasped Rey's hand a moment, not wanting to let go of her.

 

Han noticed the look of “Really?” crossing his son's face first.

 

“Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you two,” he said as he turned around and busied himself. “Chewie, you need help?”

 

Ben sighed as he reluctantly let go of Rey. She made an awkward gesture that she was leaving before saying, “Well, I'm going to head up to systems. What brings you here?”

 

He followed her out.

 

“I was just telling my father that I survived Rose and only received two more soul-crushing hugs from her. I didn't think I would make it,” he said seriously.

 

“You'll get used to them,” said Rey confidently. “Just try not to get worried when she pops up every day as you work with Finn. They're dating.”

 

“I figured that much out. They're quite obvious and happy,” he replied, giving her a cautious look.

 

“They trust circumstances and people more than others do,” she said. “I don't.”

 

“All people?” he asked with uncertainty.

 

“All but you. I may have before, but not anymore,” she said confidently. 

 

The brilliant smile he gave her put her at ease. Hopefully that would be enough for the time being, until she figured out what she wanted, as well as what she wanted more.

 

\-------

 

From the bottom of the stairs, Han slapped hands with Chewie and came from around the corner to find his desk and phone.

 

“Leia's getting grandbabies for sure,” he confided with pride to Chewie. “Whatever she and her minions said seems to have worked.”

 

Chewie said something unintelligible, prompting Han to pause a moment.

 

“Of course Leia's always wanted grandchildren. It's been her dearest wish to have a granddaughter to spoil. I just never thought about it for me. But you're right; I'm going to be a grandad. I think I need a drink.”

 

Chewie clapped him on the back amid raucous laughter.

 

When Han got a hold of his wife, he said, “You know, when I said that they were soulmates at first, it was only a joke. Now, I'm not so sure. Maybe they are.”

 

“What makes you say that?” asked Leia, very confused.

 

“Rey came into my office, and the moment she saw him, her face lit up like his does every time he talks about her. Then, they rushed up to one another but didn't actually touch at first, which is such a Ben thing.”

 

“But?” prompted Leia, hoping for more.

 

“She didn't try to hug him; she just touched his hand, like she was trying to reach across a great chasm to touch him, and vice versa. He couldn't have found anyone better suited to him who also doesn't like to be hugged.”

 

His wife laughed before finally saying, “And she's probably the only person who he would consider hugging regularly.”

 

“You got that right. I don't think they're together yet, but they're close, Sweetheart. I think you'll get your wish.”

 

Her selfish wish for grandchildren was nothing compared to her bigger wish to see Ben happy and in love. Now that she had been able to get to know Rey, she wanted nothing but the same for her. 

 

Preferably for them together.

 

\----------

 

With each passing day in systems engineering, Rey knew with a certainty that she wanted to end up under Leia's direction, in Holdo’s group. 

 

Three days in, she had been able to talk to Bazine a bit, as she was now the third woman in the group. Bazine gravitated toward her, just as she had to Rose.

 

Bazine was a climber, determined and ruthless in her pursuit to improve the company and her place within it. But, she was also aware enough of her own struggles to get ahead that she sought out other new women to help them and find companionship amid other like-minded women.

 

She liked Rey at once, as she was independent and wanted to make a difference. She was also hardworking and a problem solver, and cared about safety in a fresh, real way, one often lost at the management level. 

 

Too often, one had to espouse the ideals of the company, and it became empty talk after a while. It gave Bazine new impetus to make the safety talk something useful rather than mechanical.

 

As a result, she wanted to help Rey in her career.

 

A week into Rey's rotation, Bazine stopped by her desk, having remembered something Leia mentioned to her after talking to her husband.

 

“Rey, is it true that you're considering becoming a senior reactor operator?”

 

“Yes, I think so?” said Rey with hesitation. “I still don't know that much about it, but I love to see how all the systems work together to form a coherent whole.”

 

“Then you're perfect for that position, a match made in heaven,” said the older woman, perching herself on Rey's desk. “It's the best, most lucrative route you can take here. If you want to advance quickly, that is your ticket.”

 

“I just want to find the ideal career for me,” started Rey.

 

Seeing that Rey was genuinely interested in it for something other than the money and prestige, Bazine changed tactics. Having Rey talk to her husband was useless in that case, since he was more mercenary, but there was one person who was noble enough who could convince Rey.

 

“If that's the case, then I'm going to get you in touch with the old man who trained my husband, the best operator and trainer there is, Ben Kenobi.”

 

“Is that the Ben that Ben Solo was named after?” asked Rey curiously. “I had heard from Leia that she named Ben after someone here who had helped train her.”

 

“You're right. Old Ben Kenobi was the first to believe in her, besides Maz. But no one took Maz’s word as gospel then; they did with Kenobi. He got them to trust in her after everything with her father. He's the one that split up engineering into two departments, making him and Kenobi the heads of them.”

 

That was all new to Rey. She tried to hide her shock, but failed, making her supervisor laugh.

 

“It's fine. I doubt anyone wanted to prejudice you by telling you all the dirty secrets. All the same, Kenobi did help Leia and gave her a chance in engineering. I'll arrange for you to meet him early next week in the simulator, and in the meantime, I'll make sure you shadow all the different system owners.”

 

“Thank you! I'd like that very much,” said Rey.

 

“Just let me know if there's anything else I can do. We women have to stick together,” said Bazine before she went back to her office.

 

\---------

 

That weekend, Ben attended dinner with his parents and grandparents, who were in town for once. The last time he had seen his grandparents was at the annual softball game, when they had come unexpectedly. 

 

Anakin wasn't the only wanderer to return for that game, though. Qui-Gon Jinn had also been at the game, which had made him curious.

 

“So what brings you and grandma here?” Ben asked during supper. “This was a great surprise.”

 

“We have been hearing some good things about you, my boy,” said Anakin with pride. “I knew the day would come when everyone else would acknowledge what I already saw.”

 

“But there's more than that,” said Padme, elbowing her husband.

 

“There always is,” said Leia, who was also curious.

 

“As it so happens, I heard from my mentor, Qui-Gon,” said Anakin, getting to the point. “He made it sound like my daughter was planning to retire without telling me first.”

 

“What? Mother, you can't be serious,” said Ben, looking at his mother worriedly for confirmation. 

 

“He's right,” confirmed Leia. “I'm getting up there in age, and it's time to let the next generation take over. I've been planning this for a while now, but I finally picked a date.”

 

“When?” demanded Ben darkly.

 

“In one month,” she said, looking at her husband expectantly. “Han and I are both planning on retiring, for good.”

 

“And I'm not far behind,” said Luke. “I just need to settle a few more things, and I'll be relaxing with them, somewhere without sand.”

 

The thought of his parents or Luke truly retiring was ridiculous and impossible. They were larger than life, an important part of the plant as it was.

 

“But Mom-"

 

“No buts,” interrupted Leia. “Change is coming to this plant, whether you and I want it or not. A lot is about to happen. As grandmother Shmi used to say, ‘You can't stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting.’ I'm at peace with my decision.”

 

“Which is the other reason why I'm here,” said Anakin. “I've been involved in the same talks as Qui-Gon. I know all that's about to be implemented here. It'll be good for us. It'll fix one of my few mistakes.”

 

“What mistake was that?” asked Ben, confused. “I thought you did a great job as director.”

 

“My biggest mistake was separating the two halves of engineering. You're supposed to work together, not act as bitter enemies like you did in that softball game.”

 

Silence reigned at the table as Ben contemplated what was said. 

 

Finally, he ventured, “Does that mean that we're all being united under Snoke soon?”

 

“No,” said Han proudly, full of the newest gossip from Chewie. “I heard from a higher up that he is announcing his retirement at the same time. They're bringing in someone else to help with the transition.”

 

“Qui-Gon,” added Anakin helpfully. “He came back for the game and has been here since, checking out the area and conferring with Yoda, Maz, and others in management. Getting a feel for everyone. He has some good ideas to help the transition.”

 

“I can't believe it,” said Ben, still in shock.

 

The rest of the dinner passed in a blur for him until it was all over. Then he used talking to his mother as an excuse to not help with dishes.

 

“Is this really what you want, Mother? After all this time, and all the effort you've given this place? To leave now, when Snoke is finally going?”

 

“I'm still surprised you're happy about that,” said Leia, giving him a pointed look.

 

“We've had a disagreement. Our professional opinions about what is safe for the plant no longer agree, and I suggested that he leave or retire. I just can't believe he did it,” said Ben, still surprised by the news.

 

“He was under a considerable amount of stress from above to retire, Ben. He has been for the last few years. He held on for some reason, but it seems to no longer exist,” said Leia, with a shrug.

 

“Did they pressure you at all?” he inquired with concern.

 

“Yes. They weren't pressuring me as much as they were him, but I knew my time was coming. Now, I feel comfortable knowing that you will follow on your own path to the top doing what you love, taking care of the plant that has been a second home to you in a way that I failed.”

 

“Mother,” he said, his voice full of emotion.

 

“Don't try to deny it, Ben. I know I was away too much. I'm just glad you've forgiven me. Perhaps now we'll finally be able to talk more, assuming you can drag yourself away from Rey.”

 

Ben opened his mouth to deny it and put up a finger, but his grandfather stalled him.

 

“Is that the girl that you kept on trying to strike out mercilessly and who distracted you while batting?” asked Anakin, remembering her fondly. “I like her. She seems good for you.”

 

“Any woman, or man for that matter (referring to Han, who is brave enough to fight with a Skywalker is good enough,” said Padme, leading her husband toward a recliner. “Don't lose her, Ben.”

 

“Yes, keep on touching hands or whatever it is you two use to communicate,” added Han with a smug grin.

 

“Dad! Why are you telling everyone that? What happened to ‘the sacred trust between father and son’?” Ben asked as he put up air quotes, not liking everyone to know his personal business. 

 

“You lost it the moment you did it in front of Chewie and me. You know he's a gossip with connections to the top,” said Han to his son. “Plus, I have to tease you about your love life somehow. It's required by all fathers to do so.”

 

“We all like her, Ben. We hope you'll be very happy with her. Anyone who you let touch your car must be special,” said Leia with a smile, glad to not be the center of attention. 

 

“I just wish she'd say something more,” mumbled Ben.

 

“What was that? I've got sand in my ears from all the places your grandmother drags me to, and you know how much I hate sand,” said Anakin.

 

“Nothing, Grandfather. How about some cards?”

 

The rest of the night passed quickly as the five played card games late into the night, one of the great Skywalker traditions.

 

When Ben finally went to bed, he still had trouble sleeping because of his troubled mind, thinking about what was coming. It stayed on his mind at work as he stayed late to finish a review of all the post-outage paperwork and jobs performed. 

 

\----------

 

That following Wednesday, a different scene played out for Rey. She came in early to meet with Ben Kenobi, who insisted on meeting when it was still dark. She rushed out of her car to get there on time, hoping that her car lights would turn off eventually.

 

She met him at his office, his gray hair and beard making her think of a kindly grandfather figure she would have liked to have had. 

 

The kindness in his eyes reminded her of the older gentleman that she had met during outage, and she thought that Kenobi was also familiar, no doubt for the same reason the other man was.

 

“Rey, it's good to meet you at last. I've heard much of you from everyone,” he said, welcoming her into his office and into a chair. “And please, call me Obi-wan. I like that name more.”

 

“Thank you, Obi-wan. It's great to meet a real legend here. I've heard a lot about you as well. What made you decide to go from engineering to operations?”

 

“I've always seen the world a certain way, I guess,” he said, looking at her significantly. “Everything makes more sense when you see the big picture, right?”

 

“Always. All of these simple systems interact in order to perform a complex job, even if it is just removing heat from a system and using it to create electricity,” she said.

 

“The minutia of the plant, the theory behind all of it, is vast. One could spend a lifetime trying to learn all of it. But I've always been more interested in having a small, general knowledge of everything, rather than deep knowledge of one. Do you feel similarly?” he asked.

 

“Yes. That's all I've managed so far in school and working here. It's served me well so far. I'm a jack of all trades, but master of none,” she admitted. “I like studying systems drawings for fun.”

 

With that information, Obi-wan smiled more and began asking more pointed questions about her feelings about shift work, her learning style, her mechanical aptitude, and her ability to stay calm in a dire situation. 

 

When she answered those questions satisfactorily, he finally explained the process.

 

“As I mentioned, operators work on shift. There are two levels of operators, the equipment ones and senior ones. Because you have a degree, you would have the opportunity to go straight into the class to become a senior reactor operator,” he said.

 

“What's the difference in what the two do?” she asked.

 

“Equipment operators go out into the plant, perform rounds to ensure all equipment runs as it should, and perform tests, among their other duties. Operators own and run the plant.”

 

“So the senior level ones look at the even bigger picture?” she asked.

 

“Yes. They work in the control room, directing all reactor operations. They know every system and procedure, and they look at the signals of the plant to make sure that our main job is fulfilled.”

 

“That of keeping the reactor core covered with water at all times, to prevent an accident?” she clarified, remembering someone saying that in training.

 

“Yes. For this next part, I think it's better if I just show the control room training simulator to you. It'll make more sense, and it doesn't matter if we mess with everything.”

 

As he opened the door to the simulator, he said, “Rey…. these are your first steps.”

 

Rey walked in and gasped as she took in the rectangular room around her. Green panels upon panels of technology taken out of old sci-fi films of the 1970’s sat, perfectly preserved and blinking their red and green lights, along with the occasional digital display.

 

Obi-wan let her wander for a time, standing in the center of the room at the main desk to oversee her. 

 

Rey’s feet and instincts guided her as she walked along the gray and red carpeting on one side of the room, fingers touching the levers and buttons that dotted every wall in the room. For each button and lever, there was a corresponding label for the piece of equipment it affected, with larger labels at the top, one for each system in the plant.

 

“What does all of it mean?” she asked as she made her way to the front of the room, where a number of larger levers and red buttons sat.

 

“This is the brain of the plant, where everything that is being monitored on Artoo and Threepio gets displayed so that operators can view and manipulate it in order to maintain the safety of the plant.”

 

“Based on what I recall, one should never touch these big red buttons.” asked Rey, looking at one button.

 

“Indeed. These aren't the buttons you're looking for,” he said, pointing her toward some levers instead. “They'll shut the whole plant down at once.”

 

He continued on with his explanation, saying, “These panels with their alarms and signals used to be organized less than ideally. Operators have taken a lot of heat in the past for their lack of training and mistakes, but it's made them much stronger. As Yoda is fond of saying, ‘The greatest teacher, failure is.’ This is especially true for us.”

 

Rey couldn't fully appreciate all the wisdom that he was passing on, as her head was still spinning.

 

“What does this do?” she asked, pointing to a red lever next to a display with numbers and the word bank.

 

“Pull it and find out,” he said cryptically.

 

She did a double-take between his retreating, smiling face and the lever. Curiosity won, and she pulled it up.

 

As she did so, a series of clicks sounded, and red lights disappeared. Eventually, after holding them a time and all the lights disappeared, a series of loud beeps and other alarms rang out.

 

Rey covered her ears and looked at Obi-wan expectantly.

 

“That lever just removed all control rods in a particular bank from the reactor, allowing the heat level to increase to high levels. These alarms are telling you that certain temperatures and pressures are too high now. Eventually, if you do nothing, the plant will automatically drop the control rods back in as a safety measure.”

 

“Then what was the point of doing that?” she asked.

 

“Look at the controls. Read their labels. Do you recognize any from your research or journeys in the plant? There is a way to fix it in these procedures here. There's a procedure for every emergency. Come here, and I'll show you.”

 

Over the next eight hours, Rey discovered a new world far bigger than the one she had been existing in. This one beckoned to her in a way nothing had before, even more than procurement engineering, as she was allowed to go from panel to panel, finding things she recognized from paperwork and inspections. 

 

She looked at drawings, read procedures, and asked questions of Obi-wan as he showed her what he had done for more than twenty years, commanding the plant with a calm, steady head.

 

At the end of the day, he said, “With great power comes great responsibility. This is not something to be taken lightly.”

 

“I understand the gravity of the situation. There's no falling asleep here, unlike with Homer Simpson,” she said as he led her out.

 

“I hope I've given you a better idea of what you can expect as an operator, should you choose that path. You're still young and can change your mind.”

 

“Oh, I want to do this. I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I could spend weeks in this room running and resetting the controls and learning how the plant and procedures work,” she said with certainty. 

 

He stopped at the entrance to his office, a satisfied smile in place.

 

“Then we’ll have to talk more in the upcoming years and prepare you for this. At one point, Anakin wanted to pursue this path, but decided rightfully that his temperament wasn't a good fit for it. Instead, he became a manager, and he excelled at it.”

 

“Why did he split up engineering? Didn't you take the other half of them for a time?” she asked.

 

He sighed, thinking back to those turbulent times. 

 

“Anakin Skywalker is a man who does not trust easily, especially corrupt upper management. He would rather do everything himself, force others to do what is in the best interest of them, and be fully responsible and give personalized attention to everyone by being the manager and enforcer.”

 

Rey nodded in understanding, seeing that trait in Ben to a large degree.

 

“Because of that, he split up engineering so that he could give plant engineering the attention it needed, and he asked me, his close friend and mentor, to oversee design engineering when the time came. I helped for as long as needed before coming back to operations.”

 

“Do you regret it?” she asked. “Going back for a time?”

 

“Not at all. Anakin needed me, and he was doing what he thought best. I wish it wasn't necessary to split them up, given the bitterness between them now, but we can't change the past. We can only change our present.”

 

“There's still hope,” said Rey brightly, remembering the old man. “We just have to accept the change when it comes, and be a positive force for change.”

 

“Of course. Well, now that I've taken up your whole day, you can tell Bazine all that you've seen. I'm sure she'll want to know. And if you want to come in here on my day off, find Erso.”

 

“Jyn Erso? The water quality specialist in environmental?” asked Rey in confusion.

 

“Her? No, her husband, Cass. He is in charge of security for this building. He will help you if you need it,” said Obi-wan.

 

After that, Rey left work feeling more satisfied and at peace than she had in awhile. 

 

Suddenly, her path ahead was clear; she would spend the rest of her time in her rotation learning about the various systems, and then aim to end up in systems or procurement engineering. 

 

Either way, she would be doing something she liked and could use toward her goal, and she could still date Ben.

 

\---------

 

When Rey got to her car, she realized that the driver side door had been left slightly ajar, which would explain why the lights had stayed on for so long.

 

It also left her with the realization that her car battery might be dead.

 

Soon, she was trying every trick she had to start the car, but nothing seemed to be working on the old junker. Her car was dead. Not even a jump from another car could save her now.

 

She wanted to cry. This car had been her baby, what had gotten her through every disaster and adventure in high school and college. Now, it was dead, not worth the money to replace the engine.

 

She slumped down against the top of the car for a moment, pounding on the car with angry fists. She resisted crying and instead decided to call a tow truck, to get the car out of there.

 

She was about to go inside the building and look for Obi-wan and a ride home when she heard a car driving past her.

 

She looked up just in time to see Ben rush out of his car, looking very concerned. 

 

“Rey! What's wrong?”

 

If this had been a few weeks or months ago, she might have thought that he might say something along the lines of “I told you so,” but not anymore. 

 

He knew what it was like to lose things and people, just like her.

 

She ran into his outstretched arms and cried, not holding back. Eventually she explained through sobs that her car was dead.

 

Just as she thought, there were no smug words said, only empathy. He listened to her sobs and stories as he drove them, along with her car towed in the back, off the plant property to wait for the real tow truck.

 

Once her car situation was safely in hand, he found a small cafe where they could eat and hopefully remove some stress from Rey since food usually made her feel better.

 

“So why were you here so late?” asked Rey as they waited for their appetizer.

 

“I was doing close-out paperwork from outage, and then went to the gym, as I always do,” he said.

 

“We should go to the gym together,” she said, her eyes hopeful.

 

“Really? Well, of course we should,” he said, trying not to appear too excited. “What makes you say that?”

 

“I think I've finally figured things out,” she said excitedly, grabbing his hands. “I had a breakthrough today, just as I did the last time I saw you.”

 

“It sounds like everything just seems clearer when you're around me. Just saying,” he commented, making her laugh.

 

“The first time, yes. Today just confirmed what I feel about you.”

 

“Which is?” he prompted, losing all patience and needing to know, even as she smiled warmly at him.

 

“I want to be with you, Ben. The only thing I'm more sure of is that I want to be an operator.”

 

“An operator? How? When?” he replied until she put a finger to his lips to stop him.

 

“When I saw you last week, I knew with certainty I cared about you. I'm pretty sure now that I'm falling in love with you,” she said, unafraid. “You've only proven yourself more since you explained yourself and gave me time to figure everything out. Thank you.”

 

He wasn't able to speak in that moment, all rational thought gone in light of her admitting the depth of her feelings. It was too wonderful to hear, and he wanted to leave the restaurant at once in order to delve into that more deeply.

 

He settled for kissing her finger and saying, “When we get done here, we're going to my place and taking a ride. That Mustang needs to have its first official ride, and I want to share it with you.”

 

“I'd like that. Now as for being an operator, your mother first suggested that I might like to be an operator when I proved I was knowledgeable about systems early on. Bazine set me up to meet with Obi-wan Kenobi today. Can you believe it? I met my first real legend here at the plant!”

 

“But you've already met Yoda,” he said in confusion. “I don't understand. He's even more of a myth and legend.”

 

“Yoda? When did I meet him?” she asked.

 

Ben was about to answer when the appetizer came. For a time, food became the priority, and she went back to explaining her day with Obi-wan and how much she loved it.

 

It didn't take long for him to see her excitement, as well as realize that this was a good fit, one he should have seen coming. It was encouraging, given the circumstances. It meant that they would be in separate departments before long.

 

As they finished the meal, both gave their opinions about where she ought to end up. Both agreed that procurement was her first choice, and she added in systems now.

 

“It's better this way, honestly,” said Ben. “You'll be happy, and we can date easily. Just so you know, my entire family likes and approves of you.”

 

She tilted her head in confusion before replying back.

 

“Oh, well, I guess that's good. I like everyone in your family so far,’ she said. “And a bunch of people in design and systems agree with your dad about us.”

 

“I'm not sure what you're referring to,” he said, trying to think of something Han said the week before.

 

“Remember when he called us soulmates on our first day meeting one another? A bunch of people heard that story and agree since we're similar in certain ways.”

 

“That's because we are,” he replied smugly. “We share a lot of similarities and complement one another well. Confirmed soulmates.”

 

She giggled a little as he said, “Hey, I was being serious there-"

 

“I know you were, but it was the way you said it. It just seemed so strange.”

 

“Fine. So long as you agree that we can now be open about dating. Everyone probably assumes we are anyway. We're not fooling anyone, and I don't want to risk losing you,” he said with feeling.

 

“You're not losing me, smooth one,” she said with an indulgent grin. “You're stuck with me now.  We'll tell everyone tomorrow. We're going to be quite a pair, a little strangeness and charm,” she said.

 

“Like the quarks?” he asked excitedly, until he saw her face.

 

“No? Like the Florence and the Machine song, which I suppose could be inspired by it,” she said.

 

He looked up the lyrics to the song. 

 

“It must be. Too many references to atoms, and seeing as quarks make up the protons and other particles within atoms, it's perfect. Did you know strange and charm are two different flavors of quarks?”

 

He seemed so excited to talk about his degree no matter what time of day, or how much he had already discussed it. It never failed to make Rey smile, at seeing his enthusiasm. 

 

“Nope, but I'll remember now. Flavors, huh?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“Flavors, because everything else in nuclear theory sounds made up. There are also up, down, top and bottom quarks.”

 

She let him talk until they split the bill, and then they headed back to his place.

 

As he drove, he asked, “So, given that you don't have a car, want to carpool with me tomorrow? Then we could take Friday off and go new car shopping. I can show you the ways of car shopping.”

 

She thought for a moment and made a big deal out of it, even though she already knew the answer.

 

“Yes, that sounds great. We're going to get a head start on doing all sorts of couple things together. I can't wait,” she said, giving his arm a squeeze.

 

“Neither can I.”

 

\--------

 

“Why did you want to fix up this car?” asked Rey as the couple got in for the Mustang’s first ride in many years.

 

“My father, before he worked at Ford, had an old Corellian model he called the Millennium Falcon. I used to love working on it with him; working on it was some of the best memories I had with him growing up,” explained Ben as he started the engine and shifted the car into gear.

 

Rey's eyes grew softer as she imagined a young Ben and his father fixing a car. She wished she had had such moments, but she was glad to make new ones with Ben instead.

 

“After he started working at Ford, he wouldn't stop talking about the old cars in high school and college. By the time I had a bit of money saved, I was just getting into a better place with my parents.”

 

He remembered well the first embrace he gave his parents after that. It had been tearful and necessary after at least five years of no physical contact. 

 

“I decided that I would try to bring back some aspect of my past in order to have something to talk about with my father. I ended up finding this car, and the rest is history. Because it was so personal to me, I've never really talked about it with anyone besides you and my parents. Or shown it to anyone for that matter.”

 

Rey stared at him in awe as he maneuvered the stick shift with ease, toward one of the small beaches along Lake Naboo. Since it was just before tourist season in the summer, the beach was deserted.

 

The woods that Starpoint Woods Power Station were named for slowly thinned as the ground gave way to grass and giant sand dunes. Little porgs dotted the grassy dunes around the edge of the beach, and seagulls’ cries filled the evening air as the sun began to set in the cloudless sky.

 

As soon as Ben pulled down the path to the beach, the picturesque scene of twilight over the cresting waves filled the windshield, and Rey pulled out her phone and attempted to take a selfie of them while he drove.

 

“Smile, Ben!”

 

“Not while I'm driving! It's unsafe!” he cried while clutching the steering wheel tightly and looking away from the distraction. 

 

“But look at this moment! There's no one around. We should enjoy this,” she pleaded, spreading the hands out to indicate all that lay around them.

 

“Fine. You can, but I'm not smiling. Not until I stop the car,” he grumbled as she took a couple selfies and then a few of the landscape.

 

When he finally parked the car, she climbed into his lap at once, and he welcomed the closeness and distraction after that.

 

Straddling his lap, Rey took a couple terrible shots with the sunset in the background - because everyone inevitably looks dark with a sunset behind them - and a few more including the car and then of themselves. 

 

He even snuck in a kiss on the cheek for one, which ended up being her favorite one, as her surprised face contrasted greatly with his smile.

 

When they finished with that, the two just sat and enjoyed the slowly dimming light. As the last bit of sun finally dropped below the horizon, he pulled her close and kissed her.

 

It was gentle and unhurried, a firm press of lips that made it clear that he was glad to be with her. She pressed herself as close as she could to him, to enjoy the warmth. 

 

Finally, they had their moment in his car. These were new memories, the ones he looked forward to creating everyday with her.

 

And as the sun set over the water, both knew with certainty that one chapter of their lives had closed. This new one unfolding, however, would be far better than any before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, we made it to six! Now all that's left is seven, which acts more like an epilogue. 
> 
> I always wondered what would happen if Anakin was alive and could talk to Ben, or just give advice. Force Ghost Anakin, anyone? I decided to have fun with that here. I hope it was in character for him.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the future of the rotational engineers is decided, as well as for the rest of engineering. An epilogue of sorts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No I don't own Star Wars or anything else referenced. We've come to the end of our story, and I've loved writing this. Thanks to everyone who took a chance on this story; I'm sending lots of love your way! Thank you to my beta, Davina, for helping me out when I needed it. I hope you enjoy this final, super sweet chapter.

The next day of work passed quickly for the new couple. It started with Han sneaking peeks at them as they walked in their building (no doubt taking photos for Leia), before they made it upstairs, to Ben's group.

 

There were many exclamations and jokes from Finn, Hux, and Phasma on the momentous occasion, and Finn, who had gotten the idea to tell jokes from Han, even had a joke ready for them.

 

“Hey! You two finally got together! Now Rey can be the solution to your homogeneous system of linear equations.”

 

Rey groaned, and Ben said acerbically, having grown tired of a new joke every day, “I'd like to plug my fist into the solution for your equations.”

 

“Ben!” cried Rey, slapping his arm lightly.

 

“What? He has it coming. You're not the one who has to hear bad jokes everyday. I do,” justified Ben.

 

Finn just chuckled before shouting, “Hux, you owe me money! I knew you two were a sure bet. Hux didn't think Ben would get the courage to ask Rey out.”

 

“Wow, your belief in me is staggering,” said Ben to Hux as he and Phasma approached. 

 

“At least I'm better than Phasma. She thought that Rey would have to do it,” said Hux, giving Phasma a look.

 

“What can I say? Ben is the type to brood and wax poetic by saying something about his love being neverending like pi. Rey is more likely to take charge,” said Phasma with a shrug.

 

“Can we  _ stop  _ with all the terrible math puns already?” groaned Ben.

 

“Nope. We got them for days for you two,” said Finn with a wide grin. “Or, I can tell you that Rey will not succumb to your pelvic sorcery, Mr. Lube Man.”

 

Ben's eyes became black and dangerous. 

 

“No, Ben,” said Rey. “You know I've already succumbed to the power of the lube. Take it easy on him, as I've got systems to learn and supervisors to talk to.” 

 

She gave him a peck for luck, which helped his mood immensely.

 

Finn was done telling jokes since he still had a little more time with Ben, but the other dynamic duo kept up the jokes all day.

 

Their last comment as Ben got to work was Phasma saying amid snickering, “They still need to bang already. He's way too tense to be anything else.” 

 

\--------

 

The day ended with many from design appearing for a mysterious inspection at the end of the day, including Leia.

 

Ben took that all in stride, even when Poe spoke. The only time he couldn't maintain his composure was when his mother hugged Rey.

 

“Welcome to the family, Rey. We love having you be a part of it,” said Leia softly as she squeezed Rey. 

 

Rey managed not to cry, but her eyes were a magnet, and Ben was a piece of steel inexplicably drawn to them. He had gone over there to hold Rey's hand, but soon got dragged into the hug by his mother.

 

“Don't expect me to join that,” said Han, looking on with pride.

 

It was then Leia's turn to stare at her husband and incline a finger toward him, asking him to silently join.

 

He joined soon after.

 

\-------

 

The car search on Friday was fruitful, and continued into the next week. Rey enjoyed trying out every car she could, all while listening to Ben pick apart each car and its safety ratings and various points of interest.

 

The next week was one of the better ones that Rey could recall, between daily visits to the plant and lunches with Ben.

 

At the end of that week, she was called in for a meeting with the site’s vice president, in order to discuss her destiny at the plant.

 

Rey was only a little nervous, as she was meeting another legend, Maz Kanata. It wasn't until she shook hands with the short, older woman that she realized that it was the same woman she had seen at the softball game.

 

Apparently, everyone had come to that game.

 

“Welcome, Rey. Do you know why you've been asked here?” asked Maz kindly.

 

“Yes, to discuss my last year here at the plant, and to let you know if I have a preference about where I end up,” replied Rey.

 

“Correct. Let's begin. What was the best and worst experience you had here so far?”

 

Maz sat comfortably in her office overlooking the lake, her large glasses swallowing up her face. Rey tried to feel at ease.

 

“My best experience was spending the day in the control room simulator with Obi-wan Kenobi recently. That was the big moment for me, when I saw my career path clearly,” she said excitedly. 

 

“From what I hear of you from others, I think that is an excellent path for you, child. Now, what was the worst?”

 

“The worst moment was performing my first engineering change in Ackbar’s group,” said Rey. “I never saw such a waste of time and paper. But really, it wasn't horrible overall or anything. It was just the least enjoyable experience I can recall. I don't think the amount of computerized training can count.”

 

Maz chuckled. 

 

“Oh, child, there is still so much for you to learn. But never fear. We all have had our moments. Now, I'd ask you if you have a preference, but I can see your eyes. You already know the truth of where you're going, I suspect.”

 

“I hope so,” said Rey. “I want to end up working in Holdo's group, as that work seems more satisfying, and I love the group dynamic there far more than in plant engineering. I really enjoy systems engineering, so it’d be my second choice.”

 

“Many who enter operations start in systems. It is the most traditional route as you'll spend more time in the plant, learning it. And yet, you don't want it. Why?” asked Maz.

 

“Because I'm an independent learner who will happily study the drawings and ask questions in my free time while doing design work. Plus, Rose has her heart set on systems. I don't want to take that from her. She's perfect there,” explained Rey.

 

“She is a good candidate for there,” said Maz, having interviewed Rose the day before, “but you'd be just as good. And we want to help you succeed, just as much as we do her. As the first woman at this plant to go into management, I know your road ahead won't be easy.”

 

“I realize that from talking to Leia,” said Rey, remembering many stories.

 

“That's good. You need a support network to lift you up and help you. Many people, when they come here new, know nothing of nuclear power and have trouble finding community, finding a sense of belonging. Have you found that here?”

 

“Yes, I have,” said Rey confidently. “I always felt alone growing up and in college, but since joining this plant, and especially joining design engineering, I've found the belonging I always sought.”

 

“Good. Then I believe we've discussed everything we need to. Enjoy your time left as a rotational engineer, and thank you for all your hard work so far, as well as your quick reflexes in saving Ben Solo.”

 

Rey blushed and thanked Maz as well before hurrying out of the room.

 

\--------

 

The following week on Monday, all four new engineers gathered around Han one last time before he told them their destiny at the plant.

 

“The four of you have been a special class for me,” said Han, a little choked up. “I haven't told this to anyone besides my family or upper management yet, but I'm retiring around the same time as my wife, in the upcoming months. You're my last class.”

 

All gasped and began talking at once until Han shushed them.

 

“It's high time I retired from the post and let someone else take the reins. I've enjoyed guiding all of you through your journeys here at the plant, and I'll come back and visit occasionally with Leia to see how you're doing.”

 

All smiled until his next comment, making all but Rey laugh.

 

“Unless your name is Rey. Then I'm going to see you at family dinners where I'll consistently needle you about your taste in men.”

 

Rey just rolled her eyes, perfectly aware of how much Han liked her.

 

“Hey, it could be worse,” continued Han. “At least I won't be bugging you nonstop for grandchildren, unlike my wife.”

 

Somehow, somewhere, Rey was certain that both Leia and Ben were groaning at such a comment. Call it a spidey sense, or what have you, but they knew, and Han didn't care.

 

“Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's move on to the moment you've all been waiting for: your final assignment in engineering that will determine your destiny. I think you'll all be very pleased and not surprised.”

 

All held their breath, except Rose, who took Finn's hand and whispered excitedly that she could eat three bowls of rice.

 

“First is Matt. You'll be joining my son's group, learning his job permanently after this, until you're ready to take over,” said Han.

 

“Yes! Score,” said Matt with a fist pump.

 

“Finn, you'll be going to Ackbar's group, working with Poe.”

 

“Right on! We're going to be the best science bros, just like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner.”

 

Rey was initially relieved that Matt got the position he deserved, but she was still concerned about where she would go, since systems hadn't been announced. Rose looked across from her with a sympathetic face. 

 

“Next is Rose. You're going to systems engineering, who demanded you outright after your rotation there,” said Han with pleasure.

 

Rose let out a sigh of relief, and Rey's face lit up. All was as it should be.

 

“Finally, there's Rey. You're going to Holdo's group, where you'll do some procurement work, but also learn more about reactor engineering.”

 

“I'm ready for it,” she said.

 

“Good. Now you all have your assignments, and you're not expected at your new departments until tomorrow. Get out of here, and enjoy the rest of your day. Celebrate. You've made me proud.”

 

Rose ran up to Han and squeezed the life out of him. He did his best to reciprocate, despite not being able to breathe well.

 

The four went back to the hive of scum and villainy known as Mos Eisley Cantina for drinks, a tradition for all new engineers, started by Luke and Leia Skywalker back in the day. The four were joined later by people from all the different groups.

 

Some, like Ben, just bought drinks for everyone. Others, like Hux and Poe, wanted the new people to perform feats similar to hazing, but nowhere near as dangerous. 

 

Poe insisted on having them all sing embarrassing songs, while Phasma told everyone to play darts by throwing from behind. Hux forced them all to show their prowess with math and angles by having them play billiards with their non-dominant hand.

 

By the end of the night, a number of older people also joined the party, including Han and Leia. Han proved he could still outdrink anyone, besides his wife and son. Leia proved she was still the best, seeing as her son was a little out of practice.

 

\----------

 

At the end of the month, the big announcements finally came. 

 

It started on Wednesday with Snoke announcing his retirement, and Leia announced hers on Thursday, her party in a week. No new successors were announced either day. Instead, all of engineering was invited to a meeting on Friday. 

 

Rey was visibly agitated by the chain of events, even though she was glad that Snoke was leaving. She was surprised that Ben was so calm about his mother's leaving, whereas she didn't want Leia to go yet.

 

On Friday, however, there was an air of expectation. No one really knew what was happening, so all came with questions.

 

Rey saw a number of older faces in the back of the crowd, including Obi-wan and the janitor. Toward the front sat Leia, Snoke, Maz, and the unknown man from outage, still in white clothes.

 

It was in that moment that she realized just what he was going to be doing. He wasn't just leading any particular group; he was leading her group. 

 

She turned to Ben and decided to take a chance since he seemed to know everyone.

 

“Who's that older guy up front in the flowy white clothes?” she asked. “I saw him once during outage.”

 

“That's Qui-Gon Jinn,” he said without feeling.

 

She knew something was wrong. He was trying too hard to remain calm and impassive. 

 

“Ben, what's wrong? Does all this have to do with him? With your mom?”

 

“Yes,” he said tersely.

 

That was all she got out of him before Maz came to the front stage.

 

“Welcome, everyone. Thanks for staying on a Friday. As you know, our two engineering directors recently announced their intention to retire. While we are very sad to lose them both, we are happy for them as they embark upon the new adventure of retirement. May your time be quiet and not require you to ever wear a yellow suit again,” said Maz, earning laughter from the crowd.

 

“This, of course, leaves our plant without any director. The reason why replacements haven't been announced is because of two reasons. The first is that, in an effort to keep nuclear power more cost-effective, we are following trends at other plants by reducing where we can, starting with management.”

 

This set off a large number of whispers, which Maz stopped quickly. 

 

“Second, it has been the strategy for many years at our beloved plant to separate plant and design engineering. This, however, wasn't always the case. Since then, the difference in leadership has led to….great barriers and a lack of communication between the two sides of engineering, which can no longer be tolerated.”

 

If the whispering had been loud before, it was deafening at that point. Maz had a much harder time quieting the people down.

 

“Which leads all of us in management to come to this decision. We shall be combining the director jobs into one. The new replacement will be an old friend of the plant, fresh off many talks about cost-effectiveness with other plants.”

 

Rey saw that Ben's face didn't change throughout Maz’s talk. 

 

“How long have you known about this?”

 

“Since right before we officially started dating,” he said. “I'm still not happy about it. Mother shouldn't have been pressured to leave at all.”

 

“They probably just want all remnants of the two sides gone in order to properly make this new transition work,” she said, thinking of Qui-Gon.

 

“I realize that, but it doesn't mean I have to like it,” he retorted, his hate of change shining through.

 

Rey shook her head and focused on Maz.

 

“Please help me welcome our newest engineering director, Qui-Gon Jinn,” said Maz, waving him onto the stage.

 

“Thank you, thank you,” he said as he walked onto the stage. “I didn't expect to ever come back to work here, but under the circumstances, I decided it best to help my home for so many years once more.”

 

He looked out at the audience and smiled brightly, a determined glint in his eyes.

 

“I won't be here very long, perhaps two or three years. Just long enough to get the transition done smoothly and train someone else to take my place. I'm but a tool in the grand scheme of things, trying to bring unity to this divided group of people.”

 

He looked around the room until his eyes fell on Holdo.

 

“One of my main goals in coming here is to unite the two sides of engineering. To achieve that, we will be moving all engineering into the plant, so that there's less distance and excuses.”

 

Everyone in design began talking excitedly.

 

“Second, to further help the integration of these groups, there will be some reorganization where possible to force all of you to work more with one another.”

 

Now all the engineers were talking, some  _ very _ unhappy. Ben was among that number, not at all ready for forced integration.

 

“The first way I'll be bringing that about is with Amilyn Holdo’s group. While many knew that Leia was leaving, it was less known that Holdo is being transferred to chemistry, to an open supervisor position there in two months. When she leaves, I'd like to have someone experienced from the plant side take her spot. As more openings come, we'll continue this trend, mixing the two.”

 

For a moment, Rey panicked that Ben could be chosen to come in and take Holdo's spot. Then, she realized that Ben was not experienced, and so would not be chosen. She was relieved again.

 

At the same time, Ben realized how it was possible that he would finally be chosen for a supervisor, as Snoke had indicated previously. It also meant that he had two months to train Matt.

 

Challenge accepted. 

 

\---------

 

The fallout from the meeting extended all the way to the retirement parties for Snoke and Leia.

 

The parties started at the office, and extended to the cantina afterward, at least for Leia. 

 

Everyone came to the cantina, mostly because of who else was expected to be there, her parents.

 

The whole Skywalker family made an appearance for her retirement, where Rey was introduced to Anakin and Padme at long last. 

 

“Rey, it's good to meet at last. We've been rooting for you since we saw you at the annual softball game,” said Padme.

 

“My grandson is a lucky boy. You'll keep him on his toes, and you've already taught him one of my favorite things, compassion,” said Anakin with a wink to his wife.

 

Rey also finally met Yoda officially, who was as cryptic as ever.

 

“Yoda, it's nice to finally learn your name,” said Rey. “I've heard so much about you. It's so weird to think you've been here the whole time, cleaning.”

 

“Always pass on what you have learned. Believe this I do,” he said, shaking her outstretched hand.

 

“I hope I can learn more from you over time,” she said earnestly. “I understand you were an engineer for many years, as well an operator. I'm ready to become an operator when I've been here long enough,” she said.

 

“Ready are you? What know you of ready?” asked Yoda. “Young still you are. Learn much you must.”

 

“I'm patient and willing. Will you help me?” she asked in return.

 

With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, “An operator must have the deepest commitment, a most serious mind. Impulsive you are. Curb it you must, in order to learn the ways of the operator. You will know when you are calm, at peace. Help you I will.”

 

“Thank you,” she said gratefully before he went over to a corner, where Luke was waiting with a drink.

 

She spent the first half of the night talking to Obi-wan and Qui-Gon, as Leia was swarmed by everyone wanting to congratulate her. 

 

In those moments, she learned to admire Obi-wan more, and heard more of what Qui-Gon and Anakin had been involved with the last ten years or so.

 

The second half of the night was spent next to Leia, now that the crowd had thinned, who told story after story of how she started out. She told horror stories of her first boss, Jabba, and how she felt like a slave the way he overworked her.

 

She told fun stories of what happened when she got to work under Obi-wan, and many others after her. Then, she told more adventures as she worked to become a supervisor and later a director.

 

Han and Luke sat beside her, giving little tidbits here and there, and Ben and Rey sat and listened in awe. Ben hadn't heard half of those stories, making him respect his mother even more, and making him regret not talking to her a little more.

 

It wasn't until the end of the night, though, that Leia finally became sentimental. Her first reaction was always to give a clever retort, rather than dwell in self-pity or extreme emotions.

 

“I've accomplished so much while working here. Anyone would be proud, I think. But all of these things pale in comparison to my greatest accomplishment,” she said, a warm smile on her face before pointing across the table. “My son, Ben. He will grow to be even more than me, and carry on this family legacy in ways I can't even begin to imagine. He'll take the best of me and those before him, and follow his own path.”

 

“Mother, stop,” said Ben, turning red. “This isn't about me; it's about you.”

 

“But you're an important part of me, son,” she replied. “You're my greatest source of hope that all my hard work will be worth it, because you'll protect and run the plant with my integrity and the heart of your father.”

 

“Leia,” warned Han.

 

“Oh hush. You know it's true, just like I do, pilot,” said Leia, patting Han.

 

Ben continued to be speechless as his parents argued amongst themselves until Rey touched his arm.

 

He turned to see her bright smile showing proudly.

 

“Your mother's right. You'll do right by all because you do care so much,” she said. “I believe in you, just as she does.”

 

“As long as I've got you, then that's all that matters to me,” he said, stealing a kiss.

 

\---------

 

Two months later, it was announced that Mitaka would replace Holdo, and Ben would succeed Mitaka. Matt took to his new job with such zeal as to make everyone fear him.

 

Ben's first year as a supervisor was very hard, but with much commentary from Hux, helpful feedback from Rey and Mitaka, and mentoring from Qui-Gon, he made slow progress. 

 

Qui-Gon’s advice was heeded by Rey, and her legacy would long be remembered in engineering for the way she asked the hard questions while also appearing innocent and polite. 

 

But more importantly, she taught Finn and others within design the value of going into the plant, earning the respect of everyone else. Finn and Rose were the lasting bridge for the two groups to learning how to work together.

 

By the time that Rey Solo was accepted into the senior reactor operator program five years into her career at Starpoint Woods, she had spent many hours under Obi-wan’s tutelage and in Yoda’s wise company, up until both retired permanently,  just as Han and Luke had done. 

 

Two years after that, when she graduated from the program and became an officially licensed operator, her husband was well on his way to becoming a director as always hoped.

 

When Ben Solo finally accomplished his dream and fulfilled the great dream of his grandfather, he was proud to make the announcement surrounded by family,  especially two newborn fraternal twins that he loved. He and his mother were wrapped around his daughter’s little fingers, while Rey and Han loved the little boy more than life itself. 

 

After the announcement party,  Ben and Rey went to bed with the little ones snuggled between them on the bed, their hands entwined at their hips.

 

“I promise to you, Rey, that I will  _ not  _ abandon you and these two for my job. If I do, tell me. I will  _ not  _ allow them to grow up with absent parents, like I did.”

 

“I never doubted that, Ben,” she said. “Together, we’ll make this work. Honestly, I'm more worried about what will happen when I go back to work. I'm afraid of abandoning you.”

 

“You won't. You love me and this family we've created too much to deny these two what you didn't have,” he said.

 

Rey was too quiet. Ben lifted his head from the pillow to see Rey staring at the sleeping infants with tears in her eyes.

 

“Rey, why-"

 

“You're right. Family is too precious. I won't give up my dream job, but I'm definitely going to use this work-life balance initiative to make sure that we can have the time together we need,” she said. “These two deserve so much more than I had.”

 

It was a common enough thing said, first by Anakin and Padme, and then by Leia and Han: the desire to give their children a better life. Rey fit in well in the family for that reason alone. Ben came from that line, with just as strong a desire, if not more of one.

 

“They'll have it. We'll make sure of it together. Even if we don't rule the world together, we’ll at least take care of our own little world here, and the plant we call home. Together, we can do anything.”

 

With another kiss, the two went to bed, both full of emotion. 

 

As Rey fell asleep, she reflected back on her life and the decisions that led to this moment, this life she'd never give up.

 

One thing was clear: never had she been more glad that she had taken a chance on Starpoint Woods Power Station. It really was her destiny. It had become her dream job, her home, and her extended family. And through it, she found the family she had always wanted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End!
> 
> Well, that was sappy and sweet, with a small side of feels. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. There was also sometech ical difficulties posting earlier. Thanks so much for reading!!

**Author's Note:**

> My main color of choice is green, but I included other little bits of color as appropriate. Also, full disclosure here, I am an engineer who works at a nuclear plant. I enjoy what I do, and the people I work with make my job amazing, especially the nerds I have met. Everything is better with a few math jokes and bad science puns. Thanks for reading!


End file.
